Post writer Candice Giove is perfecting the trade she learned at the knee of Andy Wolf at the Riverdale Review with an all out attack on the ethics of State Senator Jeff Klein. In this piece she does not leave a stone unturned in making her case that he is the most unethical person in the world -- even going after his pet iguana. She refers to him as "slick", "gamed the system", "possibly broken the law", "ethical breaches", and "perpetually tanned". Is it a coincidence that her mentor Andy Wolf hates Klein almost more than anyone (and that says a lot!).
Ethical or unethical, tan or pale, pet iguana or none, with redistricting, Sen. Klein is about to absorb all of Riverdale into his district, making him the most influential local elected official there.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Sen. Klein becomes the dominant politician in Riverdale and Kingsbidge must be a terrible blow for Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and his Ben Franklin Club. It's like they just lost two state senate elections they previously thought they had won!
As I've said before ... it's no mere coincidence that Anthony Perez Cassino and friends are so giddy about the unification of Riverdale under State Senator Jeff Klein. After all, didn't "Club Cassino" (NorthWest Bronx Democratic Alliance) endorse, campaign and raise money for Klein??
DeleteSo it's just my opinion, but I think it's unseemly to gloat.
Just a quick question to anonymous above - what Democratic challanger opposed Klien and who did the rival local polical club endorse?
DeleteI would like to see Sen. Klein run for NYC Comptroller.
DeleteIt's good that a busy politician like Jeff Klein still finds the time to take care of a pet and run a successful law practice. He's kind of a Renaissance man.
DeleteBig deal! So he likes pets and can walk and chew gum at the same time. Stop glorifying him.
DeleteKlein is one of my all-time favs
DeleteThe rise of Klein creates some entangled alliances both upstate and down.
DeleteNot everything can be interpreted through the lens of an all consuming hatred for Andy Wolf and people who used to work for him. It is quite possible that the NY Post is on to something. It is undeniable that Klein did have his law partner on the state payroll and, thereby, his firm avoided paying health insurance costs for said partner. An open, ethical disclosure system for electeds should lead to close scrutiny of Mr. Klein's outside legal work and the money he makes from work city and state sources refer to him. The mortgage rules, STAR tax abatement rules and zoning laws -- last time I checked -- all apply to Mr. Klein.
ReplyDeleteThere are other reasons to question Klein's ethics. During the 2010 election he signed a pledge (Ed Koch's pledge) to support independent re-districting. Last night -- he and his so-called "independent" conference joined with the Republicans to approve grossly unfair lines that were the fruit of bad process that was not independent of politics in the least. Mr. Klein's pledge, his word, the core of an ethical life, seems pretty worthless in light of his vote.
It was not the first time Klein, the putative Democrat, helped the Senate Republicans kill independent re-districting. In March of 2011 the Republicans needed to some votes to push through their fake attempt at independent re-districting. One of the Republicans was in the hospital -- so Republican leader Skelos called on his good buddy, Mr. Klein, to step in and provide the needed vote -- thus beginning the Republican destruction of any chance at fair, independent redistricting.
Klein also takes tons of dough from the check-cashing industry. He and his IDC cronies paid the industry back by passing out of the banking committee a pay-day loan bill that will allow check cashers to charge interest rates as high as 400%.
Putting some of the silly sensational language aside (par for the course in the NY Post), I say kudos to Giove and the other reporters for investigating Klein. More light is a good thing. I look forward to hearing a real response to the charges from Klein (pretty silent so far) or his supporters - not facile dismissals based solely on a preconceived bias against one of the authors.
Do you remember Cafe Iguana back in the 1980s at Park Ave South and 19th Street ?? I liked their fajitas. It's now a restaurant called City Crab.
DeletePerhaps its itme Giove cut the apron strings and start finding her own stories. Anyone who doesn't think this story was fed to her from Wolf, the hatchet man for the Ben Frankling Club whose leader Jeff Dinowitz is none too happy with Klein ascension to the top rung of local policians, is deluding themselves. While I concur with the above poster over the issue of having his partner on the state payrol, the 'allegations' in this Post piece are crap.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are giving Dinowitz and Wolf WAY too much credit here. Klein has enemies in high places.
DeleteActually, in addition to having FRIENDS in high places, Klein occupies a politically high place himself.
DeleteHe seems like he'd be a good congressman.
DeleteWhenever I see Senator Klein at events, he's always elegant and in good spirits and on top of his game. And it’s very nice to know that he's highly influential and effective in Albany.
Deleteand he is a master of backroom politics
DeleteI, for one, have no doubt that the charismatic Mr. Klein is a slippery and cunning politician . . . a true Albany creature. But that NY Post article is a sloppy and cliché-ridden mess of hatchet job.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that Klein is MORE ethical than most of his fellow state legislators!
DeleteIt is a "sloppy and cliché-ridden mess of hatchet job" because it is written by a yellow journalist with no ethical standards herself, and her name is Candice M. Giove.
DeleteI hope that New York Post Editor Col Allen realizes what a disservice Ms. Giove is doing to his newspaper.
A real journalist she ain't. After years of slinging crap at the Riverdale Review, Candice Giove has zero credibility.
DeleteYup, Giove has ZERO CREDIBILITY .... a total lack of trustworthiness.
DeleteI definitely would've respected the article a lot more without the unnecessary shots. I don't care about his iguana, his fancy car and watch, his tanness, or who he's dating. Seems like typical Post stuff to me.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, you would have respected the article if it didn't have all the wacky inflammatory Candice Giove nonsense in it.
DeleteLet's face it, Miss Giove is just not Pulitzer Prize-winning material.
DeleteWow, once again the partisans come out in droves on all sides, when in reality the Klein's and Dinowitz's, Engel's, and probably even the "upstarts" too are ALL screwing or will screw you.
ReplyDeleteIf you could get past your idealogical blinders, simply put aside Giove's over the top writing style and simply ask the question.......are these allegations true?
If so, Klein needs to be arrested and jailed forthwith and Giove should get an award for good investigative journalism. If not, and the story was a plant from whoever for whatever reason, well Giove should be fired and be forced to apologize to all accused parties.
Y'all are so focused on playing partisan games to deal with the real issue, which is the numerous serious allegations made in this article.
this is just a lot of confused yada yada
DeleteI think Jeff Klein does a great job for his constituents and I have no qualms about voting for him again.
ReplyDeleteIn legislative politics, it's all about power, policy and the ability to deliver for your district. I really don't care about his pets, his law practice, his STAR exemption, or any complexion connection to John Boehner or George Hamilton.
I largely agree about his pets and perpetual state of tanned-ness. The STAR exemption allegations, if true, are a emblematic of an entitled pol who thinks he is above the law. His law practice is very relevant for 2 major reasons -- if the allegations are true, he is using his political connectedness to make a lot of money. At the very least that is an abuse of his office and the public trust. The other reason his law practice is relevant is that these sweetheart legal jobs and other legal income could be cover for payoffs for votes. Electeds who chose to practice law on the side should be subjected to full disclosure of their clients and the money they receive from them. Otherwise we have a situation ripe for abuse of campaign finance laws.
DeleteHey Jack, you are being unreasonable. If legislators who practice law had to make full client disclosures then no lawyer worth his or her salt would bother to serve in the part-time job of a New York State lawmaker . . . It's just not worth it.
DeleteI happen to think that our State Senate and Assembly benefit from having lawyers as members.
The man's got nothing to hide.
DeleteIguanas are AMAZING & BEAUTIFUL!!! Four years ago, Fieldston School students were lucky to be able to visit an iguana breeding center in Honduras. If Mr. Klein has a special place in his heart for iguanas, he should go to Fieldston School to discuss these animals with the students studying Spanish.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of iguanas, I read that United States Senator John McCain of Arizona had a pet iguana named Henry, which was renamed Henrietta after it laid an egg.
ReplyDeleteIguanas Rule!
ReplyDeleteAny politician who loves iguanas must be a warm and comfy type of person.
Good for him.
State Senator Klein obviously knows the value of political consultants, so I'm sure he pays a pretty penny for their services. The results show that it's been money well spent.
ReplyDeleteI live on Jackson Ave near 149th St. ..... So how about some more political coverage of my neighborhood?
ReplyDeleteWho cares about iguanas anyway? I work for USPS, and the big question is not about iguanas or tans or STAR, but CAN THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE BE SAVED?
ReplyDelete