TGIF 1/3/20

Friday? Already?

Here are a few folks who had either a good week or a bad week, in no particular order.

NY State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb warned folks back in December about the dangers of drinking and driving. He was charged with doing just that on New Year's Eve, after crashing his state SUV when he missed a turn that would take him home. Kolb has resigned his leadership position, but will remain in office at least for now. He's also "seeking professional help in order to heal, learn, and fully address the challenges" he and his family are facing. This, folks, is a bad week personified.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-White House) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are having a bad week - or, I should say, another bad week. Both spoke to an empty Senate chamber today, with the former saying

We are content to continue the ordinary business of the Senate while House Democrats continue to flounder. For now. If they ever muster the courage to stand behind their slapdash work product and transmit their articles to the Senate, it will then be time for the United States Senate to fulfill our founding purpose.

Not only that, but McConnell reminded posterity of Things Chuck Schumer Said back in the time of the Clinton impeachment.

He voted against the articles both in the House Judiciary Committee and on the House floor. And a major part of his Senate campaign that year - listen to this - was literally promising New Yorkers in advance that he would vote to acquit President Clinton.

I had to fact check that, I did - because any time Mitch McConnell is giddy about something, I go looking for confirmation. And, yes, I found it probably the same place McConnell did -- in this CNN article from last month, which includes some history on Schumer's comments. Among the best of them was this line from a debate with Alphonse D'Amato, his opponent in 1998.

Senator D'Amato is the only person in America with no opinion on the matter. He should tell New Yorkers where he stands because his past actions show we cannot trust him to do what is fair instead of doing what is partisan. How can we trust Senator D'Amato to do the right thing on impeachment when he doesn't tell us how he eels and when time and time again he doesn't tell us the truth?

And people think that social media is bad? Heck, just roll the tape from 20 years ago - easy peasy, especially since so many of our Senators and Representatives have been around way to long.

Who else had a noteworthy week?  NY's Sonofa Gov, Andrew Cuomo, who has been releasing proposals in advance of his State of the State address. I can't tell if he's having a good week or a bad week - so status quo here in my neck of the woods.

He's up to 20 or so proposals already, including one dealing with the craft beverage industry. That proposal include getting rid of some Prohibition-era laws that are still on the books, and it also addresses the Sale of Alcohol in Movie Theaters.

With increased competition and diversification of video creating and consumption methods, movie theaters faced with competition have been investing in upgrades and advancements to the movie-going experience. While these investments are attracting new audiences, they have increased operating costs with many theaters struggling to pay for these upgrades without additional sources of revenue.

Listen, if you're a business and you're trying to fight the competition by making upgrades you cannot afford, I wonder if you've got the best business plan... maybe a consultant would be helpful? Or a generous local banker? But there's no need for that, when we've got the Sonofa Gov.

Under the Governor's proposal, adults holding tickets to movies rated PG-13 or higher could purchase alcoholic beverages, provided only one drink could be sold to a customer at a time. This proposal will provide theater operators with additional revenues, assist in the economic development of downtowns, and provide New York craft producers with additional retail outlets. 

This one I have to read in more detail when it comes out, if only to see how sending people to movie theaters, most of which are located in malls and suburbs, is going to assist in the economic development of downtowns.

TGIF, everyone.