The ad does not make any mention of the governor's opposition to the tax, which is not unimportant.

The five GOP State Senators who'll hear this ad in their distirct soon, include: Joe Robach in Rochester, Bill Larkin in Cornwall, Steve Saland in Poughkeepsie, Mark Grisanti in Buffalo and Patty Ritchie in Corwall.

Note: The narrator in the Robach, Grisanti and Ritchie ads referr to "downstate millionaires." The narrator in the Larkin and Saland ads, only referrs to "millionaires."  

Here's the video. Script is below:

The script: Two Millionaires" (:60) – Senator Stephen Saland

Two guys with Thurston Howell lockjaw accents. Golf course sounds in the background.

Voice 1: So is Saland with us?

Voice 2. The State Senator? Stephen Saland? Not clear, but looks like it.

Voice 1: Good. We need his vote to end the millionaire's tax, and give fat cats like us a big break.

Voice 2: Right, Saland is key. With his vote to end the millionaire's tax, I can buy a new yacht.

Voice 1: And I can buy a new Rolls.

Voice 2: He’ll take care of our buddies on Wall Street too?

Voice 1: I’d hope so – we rich guys have to stick together - or they’ll be expecting us to pay our, er, fair share. (haughty laugh)

Gatsby Music up

Voice 3 (female): Before they get to Senator Stephen Saland, you can give him a call and tell him to keep the millionaire's tax -- instead of cutting funding for children and seniors. Ending the millionaire's tax would mean a huge new tax break for millionaires, while the rest of us have to sacrifice. Call Senator Stephen Saland now at 518-455-2411. Tell him to stand up to the millionaires.

This issue erupted earlier this week when the Post reported that two people posing as a pimp and a prostitute received help from ACORN in Brooklyn when they asked for assistance opening a brothel. Republican state senators, including Tom Libous and Steve Saland, have called for the state to stop funding ACORN. Both the House and Senate voted to cut off federal funding to ACORN.

Since July 2005, the Committee to Re-Elect Senator Stafford has contributed nearly $60,000 to charities and fellow Republicans including Betty Little, his successor in the North Country-based Senate seat. The committee still has over $50,000 in its coffers available to be spent by Stafford's widow Kay, the president of CMA Consulting Services in Latham, which has been a registered lobbyist in New York since 2007.

Stafford died in June, 2005, leaving the Committee to Re-elect Senator Stafford with $108,321.95.

Since then, campaign finance filings show the committee gave $12,000 to the Clinton County Republican Committee; $6,800 to Little; $5,000 to support the failed 2006 campaign of Jeanine Pirro; $4,250 to the Republican State Committee; $3,500 to Senator Tom Libous, a Binghamton Republican; $2,509.31 for a "Faso Event" in the fall of 2006; $1,350 to the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee; $1,000 to Senator Steve Saland, a Hudson Valley Republican; $1,000 to the Republican Senate Campaign Committee; $1,000 to Clinton County Legislator Paul Maroun; $1,000 to Judge Thomas Mercure; $800 to Assemblywoman Janet Duprey; $5,000 to the Empire Leadership Council and $7,750 to various charitable and not-for-profit groups including the American Cancer Society and March of Dimes.

"I've never heard of ghost contributions before, but I guess it applies," said Blair Horner, NYPIRG's chief lobbyist for government reform at the Capitol. "This clearly underscores that there needs to be a law that you have to give the money back."

John Conklin, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections, said election law says "contributions received by a candidate or committee may be expended for any lawful purpose."

"There's no mention of whether the candidate has to be alive or dead, and the board has never expressed an opinion or policy on the use of the campaign funds post mortem," Conklin said.

It's unclear, once the candidate dies, who controls the fund. Conklin said that "we don't have any specific guidance" on who inherits control of the money, but noted the campaign treasurer is officially liable for and in charge of the actions of a committee.

The listed treasurer for the committee is Bonnie J. Lucas, of Plattsburgh, who was employed by the State Senate in Stafford's office for over 10 years, payroll records show. She is currently a "legislative aid" to Little who, according to the senator, works three days a week doing constituent services in her Plattsburgh office. She said there is no conflict with Lucas serving as treasurer and directing money from Stafford's campaign committee because "Kay Stafford makes those decisions."

"They're not unusual amounts, actually. I had a golf tournament and it was $1,000 for a foursome and I believe she came," Little said. Before his death, Little said that Senator Stafford "had contributed to my campaigns before that, and he had directed those. I believe that Bonnie was the treasurer then."

Both Maroun and Theresa Mercure, the wife of Judge Mercure, are or have been on Little's publicly funded senate staff.

"I've never thought of it as being any kind of a conflict," Little said. "The invitations are not sent to [Lucas]—the invitation went to Kay."

Ms. Stafford has donated herself over the same period, but not nearly as much as the committee. Horner said her control of and use of the committee raised several questions.

"Essentially, a campaign account is being controlled by a lobbying entity," he said. "Normally, the person involved is the retired legislator, not the dead one. In many states, you have to give the money back; New York is not one of them. Not even when you're dead: when you retire. Particularly when you're involved in lobbying."

"CMA is a big recipient of government contracts, and that's what they live for," Horner continued. "They don't make campaign contributions because they're feeling charitable, they do it fatten the bottom line."

CMA deals mostly with information technology contracts from local and state governments, and hired former Senate majority leader Joe Bruno as its CEO after his retirement from the State Senate in 2008. He was indicted by federal prosecutors for depriving the right of the public to "honest services" later that year, but is fighting the charges in court.

Kris Thompson, a spokesman for CMA, said that "the use of the campaign funds is totally appropriate."

"These are the same people Ron supported over the years," he said. "It only stands to reason that he would have continued to do the same."

Chris Keeley, the associate director of Common Cause, said that's a tough case to make four years after Senator Stafford's death.

"If it's four years later, it's arguable that it's being spent for its originally intended purpose. It's that sort of gray area that leads many in the public to be disillusioned by state politics."

He agreed with Horner that campaign accounts should be closed at the departure—by death, resignation or indictment—of a legislator. His group has advocated for similar measures for years, but none have advanced. Albany's power structure rarely rushes to more tightly regulate itself.

-- State Senator Marty Golden is the ranking member of the Crime Victims committee, which should give him an ample platform to make a stink about Hiram Monserrate.

-- As previously noted, Owen Johnson is no longer the ranking member on the Finance Committee, and several minority members have been shuffled from the committees they once chaired. Steve Saland, for example, has been moved as the ranking member on Consumer Protection in place of Education.

-- The Social Services committee remains without a chair, as Liz points out. It was previously held by Carl Kruger in a show of bipartisanship. No committees are currently chaired by Republicans, but two - Racing & Wagering and Ethics - just have acting chairs.

 

SENATE MAJORITY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS 2009-2010 - by Committee

AGING

Diaz, Ch.

Oppenheimer

Kruger

Stavisky

Savino

Serrano

Addabbo

Ranzenhofer, Ranking minority member

Golden

Farley

Flanagan

 

AGRICULTURE

Aubertine, Ch.

Stachowski

Montgomery

Breslin

Valesky

Vacancy

Young, Ranking minority member

Seward

Winner

Ranzenhofer

 

BANKS

Foley, Ch.

Onorato

Kruger

Breslin

Sampson

Krueger

Diaz

Klein

Savino

Adams

Stewart-Cousins

Farley, Ranking minority member

O. Johnson

Golden

DeFrancisco

Marcellino

Bonacic

Ranzenhofer

Morahan

 

CHILDREN& FAMILIES

Montgomery, Ch.

Schneiderman

Huntley

Duane

McDonald, Ranking minority member

Marcellino

 

CITIES

Squadron, Ch.

Oppenheimer

Perkins

Monserrate

VACANT, Ranking minority member

Lanza

 

CIVIL SERVICE

Savino, Ch.

Dilan

Huntley

Perkins

Addabbo

Monserrate

Thompson

Lanza, Ranking minority member

Leibell

Fuschillo

Hannon

Robach

 

CODES

Schneiderman, Ch.

Breslin

Sampson

Duane

Klein

Parker

Perkins

Huntley

Squadron

Volker, Ranking minority member

Saland

DeFrancisco

Bonacic

Golden

Lanza

Flanagan

 

COMMERCE

Stachowski, Ch.

Hassell-Thompson

Parker

Stewart-Cousins

Aubertine

Espada

Foley

Alesi, Ranking minority member

Fuschillo

Robach

Griffo

Volker

 

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Monserrate, Ch.

Savino

Hassell-Thompson

Adams

Huntley

VACANCY

Saland, Ranking minority member

Fuschillo

Robach

Flanagan

 

CORPORATIONS

Perkins, Ch.

Dilan

Monserrate

Squadron

Larkin, Ranking minority member

Ranzenhofer

 

CRIME VICTIMS & CORRECTIONS

Hassell-Thompson, Ch.

Montgomery

Kruger

Sampson

Aubertine

Foley

VACANCY

Golden, Ranking minority member

Nozzolio

Volker

Maziarz

Little

Winner

 

EDUCATION

Oppenheimer, Ch.

Montgomery

Breslin

Stavisky

Serrano

Huntley

Johnson

Addabbo

Espada

Foley

Squadron

Flanagan, Ranking minority member

Saland

LaValle

Seward

Marcellino

Morahan

Little

VACANCY

 

ELECTIONS

Addabbo, Ch.

Dilan

Serrano

Foley

Libous, Ranking minority member

Griffo

Morahan

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Thompson, Ch.

Oppenheimer

Schneiderman

Parker

Serrano

Perkins

Stewart-Cousins

Foley

Marcellino, Ranking minority member

Leibell

Johnson

Little

Young

Griffo

 

ENERGY & TELECOM

Parker, Ch.

Onorato

Kruger

Schneiderman

Valesky

Adams

Aubertine

Monserrate

Nozzolio, Ranking minority member

Maziarz

DeFrancisco

Alesi

Little

 

ETHICS

Sampson, Acting Ch.

Onorato

Oppenheimer

Johnson, Ranking minority member

Lanza

Farley

 

FINANCE

Kruger, Ch.

Krueger, Vice-Chair

Stachowski

Montgomery

Oppenheimer

Breslin

Sampson

Duane

Stavisky

Diaz

Dilan

Parker

Klein

Valesky

Adams

Perkins

Stewart-Cousins

Thompson

Espada

DeFrancisco, Ranking minority member

O. Johnson, vice ranking minority member

Farley

Hannon

Larkin

LaValle

Leibell

Marcellino

Maziarz

Nozzolio

Saland

Seward

Volker

VACANCY

 

HEALTH

Duane, Ch.

Onorato

Montgomery

Kruger

Sampson

Klein

Valesky

Stewart-Cousins

Thompson

Johnson

Hannon, Ranking minority member

Farley

DeFrancisco

Fuschillo

Winner

Little

Young

 

HIGHER EDUCATION

Stavisky, Ch.

Oppenheimer

Schneiderman

Krueger

Onorato

Parker

Serrano

Huntley

Aubertine

Foley

VACANCY

LaValle, Ranking minority member

Flanagan

Robach

Alesi

Young

Griffo

Maziarz

Hannon

 

HOUSING

Espada, Ch.

Hassell-Thompson

Krueger

Diaz

Squadron

Bonacic, Ranking minority member

Leibell

Young

 

INSURANCE

Breslin, Ch.

Stachowski

Kruger

Diaz

Parker

Sampson

Thompson

Johnson

Espada

Monserrate

Seward, Ranking minority member

LaValle

Larkin

Alesi

Leibell

Golden

Young

McDonald

 

INVESTIGATIONS

Johnson, Ch.

Stachowski

Diaz

Klein

Espada

Winner, Ranking minority member

Golden

Nozzolio

 

JUDICIARY

Sampson, Ch.

Onorato

Breslin

Schneiderman

Hassell-Thompson

Diaz

Dilan

Klein

Savino

Adams

Perkins

Espada

VACANCY

Maziarz, Ranking minority member

DeFrancisco

Volker

Saland

LaValle

Bonacic

Winner

Nozzolio

Lanza

Ranzenhofer

 

LABOR

Onorato, Ch.

Stachowski

Breslin

Dilan

Klein

Savino

Stewart-Cousins

Perkins

Addabbo

Robach, Ranking minority member

Marcellino

Alesi

Fuschillo

Morahan

Leibell

McDonald

 

LOCAL GOV'T

Stewart-Cousins, Ch.

Valesky

Thompson

Johnson

VACANCY

Little, Ranking minority member

Bonacic

Morahan

 

MENTAL HEALTH

Huntley, Ch.

Montgomery

Duane

Adams

Monserrate

Morahan, Ranking minority member

Volker

Hannon

McDonald

 

RACING, GAMING

Adams, Acting Ch.

Onorato

Stachowski

Johnson

Addabbo

VACANCY

Bonacic, Ranking minority member

Nozzolio

Griffo

McDonald

 

RULES

Smith, Ch.

Espada, Vice-Chair

Stachowski

Montgomery

Duane

Hassell-Thompson

Krueger

Dilan

Parker

Klein

Serrano

Valesky

Stewart-Cousins

Monserrate

Skelos, Ranking minority member

Johnson

Volker

Farley

LaValle

Seward

Hannon

Larkin

Saland

VACANCY

 

SOCIAL SERVICES

________, Ch.

Duane

Krueger

Huntley

McDonald, Ranking minority member

Marcellino

 

CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS & REC

Serrano, Ch.

Duane

Schneiderman

Stavisky

Valesky

Thompson

Squadron

VACANCY

Griffo, Ranking minority member

Alesi

Little

Flangan

Winner

Ranzenhofer

 

TRANSPORTATION

Dilan, Ch.

Stavisky

Diaz

Hassell-Thompson

Savino

Valesky

Perkins

Aubertine

Addabbo

Foley

Squadron

Fuschillo, Ranking minority member

Johnson

Nozzolio

Robach

Seward

Larkin

Lanza

VACANCY

 

VETERANS AFFAIRS & HOMELAND SECURITY

Adams, Ch.

Kruger

Sampson

Stewart-Cousins

Thompson

Aubertine

Addabbo

Squadron

Leibell, Ranking minority member

Larkin

Golden

Griffo

McDonald

VACANCY

 

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REVIEW COMMISSION

Sampson, Ch.

Vacancy

Young

Like Brooklyn State Senator Marty Golden, who secured a $120,000 grant for a group called HeartShare, where four of the group's five board members are campaign contributors.

Or Pougkeepsie state Senator Steve Saland, who help steer a $5 million technology grant towards Marist College -- a day before the school announced it had completed a $5 million sports complex.

Whether this stuff is coincidental or not, I suppose, is open to debate. But then that's precisely what's so much fun about this new system, right?

-- Azi Paybarah