Wednesday’s Briefing: Golisano Returns

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The big political news is the return of Tom Golisano, the Rochester man who made his millions building the Paychex payroll-processing empire. He ran for Governor once, outside the two party system. Now, he wants to influence that two party system.

Golisano wants to spend some of his millions to push the State Senate into Democratic hands, by eliminating the Republicans’ financial advantage.

A Democratic party-run Senate would give Gov. Paterson much wider leeway to do what he wants to do, as Republicans would lose their last hold on power.Elsewhere in the Capitol:

• Both parties are worried about election season, having stymied Paterson’s popular-with-the-home-folks school property tax cap. That issue isn’t going away for the summer.
• The last Senate leader, Joe Bruno, admits his legal case was part of his decision to step down as leader. And he hints he won’t be a rank-and-file Senator for long, either.
• Paterson’s still cutting budgets.
• Paterson’s trying to get along with the new Republican Senate leader.

Fueling Around:

• Can your heating bill survive another 40% increase this year?
• From the people who brought you the late state budget: The 4 day workweek.

Department Of Health:

• Lyme Disease cases jumping like ticks.
• Whadda ya know? Raise the price of a pack of cigarettes to $7 and cashless teens stop smoking.
• Malpractice insurance hike avoided, for now.
• Can’t beat this headline, so I’ll steal it: State of seriously bummed out.

Apropos Of Not Very Much:

• Don’t cry over the milk you’re gonna spill.
• Big, big record collection donated.
• The Boss’s Madame Marie is dead.
• So is the Queen of Mean, but her love for dogs (over people) can now be measured in the billions.

Outrage Of The Year, So Far:

It’s the fear I’ve always had about emergency rooms — that they’re so busy, nobody notices you’re dying till you’ve died. Video here.

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