This story in the Queens Chronicle details how the ridiculously high cost of malpractice insurance is driving doctors out of NY state.

According to the newspaper:

"Twenty-eight New York City physicians responsible for thousands of deliveries annually will likely lose their practices when Combined Coordinating Council Inc., drops their coverage on July 1.

Gary Eglinton, chairman of the obstetrics department at New York Hospital Queens in Flushing, according to the article, blamed high costs on two factors, "a lottery-like mentality among plaintiffs and a flawed legal system, where lawyers and other middlemen gamble on big profits", for driving up the insurance rates.

Couldn't have said it better myself. But then again, we live in a society where people sue for coffee being too hot, so I don't expect this to change anytime soon. 

Although you may not believe this actually happened, the Senate Democrats justified the "passing" of a number of bills in Albany yesterday because Queens Senator Frank Padavan happened to walk by them to get a soft-drink...

The day was marked by a bizarre game of "gotcha," in which Senate Democrats claimed Republican Sen. Frank Padavan of Queens had stepped into the Senate chamber for just enough time to be counted as an "aye" vote. 

They passed 121 bills, which the governor refused to sign. 

"It's fraudulent. It's childish. They know that I was not in the chamber voting on those bills," said Padavan.

...and then their new leader, Sen. John Sampson, proclaimed that Mayoral Control of the Schools of NYC was DOA...

"We are firmly opposed to mayoral control of the Senate."

...which is prompting the Mayor to prepare to reorganize the control of NYC's schools to a legally mandated old-version.  The Borough Presidents, along with the Mayor, may have to appoint a new "Board" of seven people to run the schools until Albany's dysfunction comes to end...

The election of Barack Obama was greeted by many in this country as a paradigm-busting event. Even those of us who could not vote for him because of policy differences have cause to be pleased. Whatever you think of his politics, Obama is a leader with class, a guy whose words are balm to the ear and who knows how to dribble his way right down the diplomatic center court, despite the offensive guards rushing at him from the opposing side.

In the recent spat over what seems to have been serious electoral fraud in Iran, Obama struck an initial tone which managed to keep us on the side of the angels, at least in the eyes of most of our traditional critics. When the ruling Ayatollah and "Supreme Leader" Ali Khameini, and his "re-elected" flunky Mahmoud Ahmadenjad, accused the U.S. of meddling in their affairs, few on the world stage seemed prepared to grant them much credence because the American president's words had been so measured and judicious. Not for him the line drawn visibly in the sand and the challenge that presents to those on the far side of it. As a result, the poor Ayatollah was reduced to picking on a lesser "Satan", this time, our friends the now hapless Brits, when he could get no traction blaming us -- outside of the rallying "Death to America" chants of the Faithful, that is.

Obama's smooth talking style effectively defanged the Iranian tiger that used to scratch so regularly and with such effect at our national door. There's something to be said for a president like this, a guy with enough aplomb and panache to teflon-coat this country after all those long years of finding ourselves in the sights of third world crackpots and their enablers in Western Europe. Because he's perceived as being on the proper side of the pressing questions of the day (in sync, that is, with the left), because he has a "third world" mystique (a man of color with a Muslim middle name) and, finally, because of the mesmerizing power of his artfully cadenced baritone, rabble-rousing elements around the world and America-detesters everywhere are now having a tougher time than usual scoring points on us.

The long fought Minnesota U.S. Senate battle is finally over....

The high court rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, whose options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling.

Justices said Franken is entitled to the election certificate he needs to assume office. With Franken and the usual backing of two independents, Democrats will have a big enough majority to overcome Republican filibusters.

Coleman accepted the loss shortly after the decision was announced, saying he had few regrets.

"The Supreme Court has made its decision and I will abide by the results," Coleman told reporters outside his St. Paul home.

...now the Democrats have FULL control - the question is what will they do with it?  More cap-and-trade nonsense?  Cut and run from Iraq and Afghanistan?

Al "saturday night live" Franken is now a U.S. Senator....God help us...

It seems the bad news just keeps pouring in for Queens Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza. After her stunning admission to the Daily News that she has turned her district residence into a rental property and relocated her family to a sprawling mansion in exclusive Glen Head, Long Island, the Queens Republican Party is calling for an investigation into Assemblywoman Carrozza's legal residence, her filing of potentially contradictory legal documents, and is also citing her high absentee record as evidence that she has essentially abandoned not just her legal residence but her job as a representative of the 26th Assembly District and its' constituents.

In a just-release statement, Queens GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa very succinctly ties this problem together with the never-ending dysfunction in Albany and out of control government spending, demanding action finally on behalf of the people. According to Ragusa:

“In this time when Albany dysfunction is at an all-time high and government spending is out of control at every level of government, spurring tea parties from coast to coast, we need to be extremely diligent in demanding real reform from our elected officials. And the most basic reform we should demand is that officials truly live in the districts they are elected to represent, as required by law. There have been too many of these allegations over the years and we must now get serious about protecting the public from this type of fraud. The integrity of our entire democratic system is at risk here.”

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We all like to think well of ourselves, both of our motives and our actions; as Fourth of July celebrations loom once more, most of us want to think well of our country, too. Recent statements by President Obama as he has visited overseas, statements involving the acknowledgment of American overreach and promises of a kinder and gentler America going forward give pause for thought. Writing in these pages recently former New York State gubernatorial candidate Herb London, president of the Hudson Institute think tank and New York University professor emeritus, noted morosely that, while "President Obama can apologize and apologize again and many Americans can applaud . . . (we  cannot) . . . ignore, forget or rationalize away American heroism". 

London has a point. Many of us have learned throughout our lives that America has been a force for good in the world, especially since the two World Wars of the last century when our soldiers fought and died for others on foreign soil, leaving freedom and the road to prosperity for those we liberated with American blood, in our wake. Sure we've made mistakes and not always been good to other peoples or nations (think of the Indian wars or the 19th century war with Mexico) but on balance, and as we've matured, we have grown into a benevolent presence on the world stage, leading the way to the establishment of the United Nations and working to promote a stable international society.

Unfortunately this is not the way some in this country see our history and certainly not how many others across the globe see us. Many see and remember America's aggressions only, while treating our efforts to improve the lot of others today as just another masked form of the old nineteenth century Manifest Destiny. Deposing Saddam Hussein, despite the Bush administration's efforts to portray it as liberation in the World War II mold and our introduction of democracy there, was and is seen by many in the Arab world, and elsewhere around the planet, as nothing more than a boorish effort to impose our way of life on others in order to better control them.

The Facebook page of the Bronx County Young Republican Club reports that the Bronx GOP has nominated Allison Oldak to face incumbent Democrat Ruben Diaz Jr. in the race for Bronx Borough President.

Who is she? Miss Oldak is the Vice President of the Bronx County Young Republican Club. She is also a pro-life libertarian and a big Ron Paul supporter, as evidenced by her Meetup.com interests. (She also likes beer and hockey. Maybe she should challenge Diaz to a drinking contest.) I'm sure her support for Ron Paul will create controversy among some Republicans and pro-war Democrats, but I think it will only serve to draw attention to her campaign.

Is there no end to the depths our elected officials will sink to in order to hold onto power? This Daily News story is properly titled "Carrozza represents Queens, but is living large on L.I. Gold Coast," but an even better way to write it would be, "I like living in Nassau better than Queens, but vote for me anyway to represent Bayside"....

Carrozza, 42, who has represented the 26th Assembly District since 1997, bought the mansion on Nassau County's Gold Coast in June 2008, taking out a mortgage for $1 million, property records show.

She told the Daily News the lavish digs were supposed to be "an investment or a second residence." But she signed mortgage documents that specifically state the mansion would be her "principal residence."

When confronted outside the posh pad last week, Carrozza admitted she has lived there full-time since February. "My primary residence is in Bayside - and we're temporarily renting that out," she said.

...So she represents Queens, but admits she doesn't live there.  And it seems she has no intention of stepping down as the Assemblywoman from the 26th district, or of resuming her residency there anytime soon.

Incredible!  Only in Democratic political circles could this make sense.  With the recent upswing in Queens GOP activity, Carrozza's obvious insensitivity to her community should be a call-to-arms for local Republican candidates and clubs.

I was looking at the following list and I find it completely appalling that there are only three congressman with an (R) after their name. We used to have a delegation of over 40 representatives and now we have less than 30.   

Representative Tim Bishop (D - 01)

Representative Steve Israel (D - 02)

Representative Pete King (R - 03)

Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D - 04)

Representative Gary Ackerman (D - 05)

Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D - 06)

Representative Joseph Crowley (D - 07)

Representative Jerrold Nadler (D - 08)

the list goes on...