Yesterday, in New York City, via Occupy Wall Street:

Wall Street: they went after the wrong people (September 25, 2011)

….You know, the titans of arbitrage and other speculative financial alchemy could easily calm the seas by taking a few lousy percentage points in their top marginal tax rate. They won’t. Who do you think will spray protesters after they break public safety unions in the interest of accumulating an even higher proportion of wealth? Just asking.

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Pepper Sprayed by New York Police Department

The New York Daily News reported that over 50 arrests were made by the New York Police Department on September 24, 2011 in connection with the “Occupy Wall Street” protest movement. The same story mentioned “there were unconfirmed reports that mace may have been used” and the online story contained an embedded video that clearly shows a noxious gas being deployed by a police officer. USLaw.com’s slow motion analysis of the same video shows a senior New York Police Department officer deploying a spray cannister in an unorthodox manner on a small group that were being ‘kettle netted’ by a half dozen officers, some of whom were also affected by spray….

You know, the titans of arbitrage and other speculative financial alchemy could easily calm the seas by taking a few lousy percentage points in their top marginal tax rate. They won’t. Who do you think will spray protesters after they break public safety unions in the interest of accumulating an even higher proportion of wealth? Just asking.  

The results, tonight, in the special election in New York’s heavily republican 26th Congressional District:

Hochul takes House seat in stunner

Updated: May 24, 2011, 10:30 PM

Kathleen Courtney Hochul, the Erie County clerk and longtime Democratic figure who defied political experts who had given her little chance of success, ground out a stunning and surprisingly comfortable victory Tuesday in the special election for the House seat in the predominantly Republican 26th Congressional District.

Hochul was leading Republican Jane L. Corwin, a Clarence assemblywoman, 48 to 42 percent, with 87 percent of election districts reporting, while the Tea Party’s Jack Davis mustered only 9 percent in his fourth try for the seat. Ian L. Murphy of the Green Party recorded 1 percent. In the 10 p.m. hour, Corwin conceded the race in a speech to supporters.

The results marked a stunning defeat for the GOP in a race that garnered significant national attention as the first competitive race following the Republican takeover of the House last November….

U.S. House – District 26 – Special General

May 24, 2011 – 10:25PM ET

New York – 543 of 627 Precincts Reporting – 87%

Name Vote %

Hochul , Kathy [D] 48%

Corwin , Jane [r] 42%

Davis , Jack [teabagger] 9%

Murphy , Ian 1%

[emphasis added]

Yep, the establishment republican candidate drank House Budget Chair Paul Ryan’s (r) End Medicare As We Know It Potion and that still wasn’t enough for the teabagger set. The Democratic candidate was relentless in pounding the republicans for their support of Ryan’s plan.

Do you think anyone in Missouri is paying attention?:

Will McCaskill choose the clear path to victory? (May 24, 2011)

Election day in the NY 26 (May 24, 2011)

Public Policy Polling: Missouri on Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid (May 23, 2011)

Just asking.

Aaron Podolefsky has been selected as the next president of Buffalo State College in New York, “subject to approval by the SUNY Board of Trustees at its March 23 meeting in New York City.”

Mazel tov.

This is the fifty-third post in an ongoing series as we file Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo 610) requests and investigate the non-renewal of the contract of University of Central Missouri President Aaron Podolefsky. Links to previous coverage are below the fold. BG and MB

Media coverage from Buffalo, New York:

Podolefsky picked to head Buffalo State College

By Jay Rey

News Staff Reporter

Updated: March 18, 2010, 7:44 am

Published: March 18, 2010, 9:38 am

… His separation from Central Missouri, however, created a bit of a stir on campus.

Despite a faculty petition to retain Podolefsky and a glowing letter of recommendation from the state’s higher-education commissioner, Central Missouri’s board of governors decided, in a 4-3 vote, not to renew his contract, which expires in June. The board publicly offered no explanation but praised his contributions.

“Boards change, and new members want to go in a different direction,” Podolefsky said during a phone interview Wednesday. “But I was very much affirmed by the response on campus from the faculty. That made me feel good about my five years.”

Podolefsky has been mentioned as a presidential candidate at a number of colleges, including Central Washington State, the University of Central Arkansas and Youngstown State University, before he eventually landed the job at Buffalo State…

From Buffalo State College:

…Dr. Podolefsky has an extensive and successful background in public higher education and currently serves as president of the University of Central Missouri. His biography and CV are available on the Buffalo State Web site. His wife, Ronnie Podolefsky, is a civil rights attorney and a very dynamic person, and we are pleased and proud to welcome her as well to the Buffalo State College community.

Dr. Podolefsky embraces the importance of our vital mission and core values, including outstanding education, research, service learning, access, and diversity. He is extremely bright and engaging and will be a forceful advocate for our college in SUNY and throughout the community, the state, and the country…

That’s quite a positive review. That’s definitely going to grate on one individual in particular.

Remember this radio broadcast?:

…I’m not the problem. No question about that. The problem’s gonna leave in June. That’s the problem. And it’ll be gone soon, we just have to wait. Okay….

Or this radio broadcast?:

…Throwin’ those darts, eventually one sticks on the board…

Yes, of course, applying for, interviewing at, and being offered a position as president of a University is like playing darts.

Or this radio broadcast?:

…Aaron Podolefsky. Out. We’ve talked about it for a long time….

….The, the thing that really upset me, that kind of got [garbled] going originally was, for years there was a Christmas tree lit at Selmo Park. Remember that?

[….]

Drive by. He stopped that. I mean I think every religion should be able to celebrate, uh, in their own way, but, I mean we do live in Warrensburg, Missouri. This is America. You know. Let’s bring that back. How ’bout that?

As if people are going to forget.

Our previous coverage of the issue:

Three steps behind, and to the right (January 25, 2008)

Three steps behind, and to the right, part 2 – a microcosm of our universe (September 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”? (October 15, 2009) (transcript of a portion of the live radio broadcast)

It wasn’t just about a tree (October 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: I heard it on the radio (October 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: let’s not get cut out of the will (October 22, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: $87.75 will get you one sheet of paper (October 23, 2009)



“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: They’re not playing hardball, they’re playing cat and mouse  (October 23, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: a cola and some scoreboards (October 24, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: a few more pieces of the puzzle? (October 28, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: your silence means consent (October 29, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: let’s not get cut out of the will, part 2 (October 30, 2009)

Old media irony impairment (October 30, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement?”: I heard it on the radio, part 2 (October 31, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: where everybody knows your name (October 31, 2009)

Methinks that someone is paying attention! (November 2, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Bond, Stadium Bond (November 4, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: where everybody knows your name, part 2 (November 4, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: I heard it on the radio, part 3 (November 5, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: nothing succeeds like success (November 6, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: your Friday news dump (November 6, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: nothing exceeds like excess (November 7, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a grade for Accounting 101 (November 7, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: there ought to be a law (November 8, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: there’s gotta be a contract around here somewhere (November 9, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: there ought to be a law, part 2 (November 10, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Garbo speaks! (November 12, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle (November 13, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”? Follow the money and it reveals the timeline (November 14, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: the new president search consulting contract (November 18, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a march on a cold and rainy day (November 18, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: raise their voices (November 19, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: great moments in radio reporting (November 21, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Oh, my! (December 3, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: It’s simple, really… (December 5, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: I do truly care about the success of our students (December 6, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: “…a wonderful relationship there we’re really proud of…” (December 7, 2009)

Oh brother, it’s time to convene another panel on blogger ethics… (December 8, 2009)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a lesson on how not to attempt damage control (January 26, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a lesson on how not to attempt damage control, part 2 (January 28, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: welcome to the party… (February 1, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: welcome to the party, four months late, part 2 (February 2, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: those people from Denmark, you know, the Dutch (February 3, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a conversation with the Muleskinner (February 6, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a simple question (February 8, 2010)

Find the Non-Employee Game! (February 8, 2010)(NYCMule)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a different choice of phrase would have made it all better (February 11, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: never mind the facts, here’s right wingnut talk radio (February 13, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: and we should give weight to your opinion… (February 18, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: fools for spin (February 20, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: fools rush in… (February 21, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: Who’s the more foolish… (February 25, 2010)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: a phone call from out of the blue (February 26, 2010)

HASSLER to PHILLIPS Connect-the-Dots Game! (February 27, 2010)(NYCMule)

“A Gentleman’s Agreement”?: project much? (February 28, 2010)

These things sometime happen when you afflict the comfortable (March 12, 2010)

An editorial in today’s New York Times holds up Missouri’s juvenile justice system as a model for reforming the flawed New  York state system.  A task force appointed by Governor Patterson singled out the Missouri system for praise, noting that:

It has adopted smaller regional facilities that focus on rehabilitation and house troubled youths as close to home as possible in order to involve parents and community groups in the therapeutic process. Missouri also has cut recidivisim rates by smoothing re-entry and helping young people with drug treatment, education or job placement.

This is not the first time that the Times has talked up the Missouri juvenile justice system. In 2007 another editorial observed that:

A law-and-order state, Missouri was working against its own nature when it embarked on this project about 25 years ago. But with favorable data piling up, and thousands of young lives saved, the state is now showing the way out of the juvenile justice crisis

It is good to know that with all the problems that Missouri has, the way that we deal with our troubled youth is not among them and that we are doing something right.