The New York Post - EDITORIAL - February 8, 2011
Who knew that New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman's secret ambition was to run a luxury hotel? As The Post's Brendan Scott reported yesterday, the judges on New York's highest court will soon be moving into their own top-drawer residence suites atop an Albany building undergoing a $23 million, taxpayer-financed renovation. Judges who live outside of commuting distance (five of the seven on the Court of Appeals) receive a per diem reimbursement to cover hotel costs when the COA is in session -- which is just 66 days out of the year. That costs some $34,000 a year. Which isn't good enough for the judges; according to the Office of Court Administration, they need private crash pads for "security" reasons. First approved (unsurprisingly) by then-Chief Judge Judith Kaye back in 2006, the renovation -- which also includes space for a 30-person office -- did not begin until August 2009. Last fall, with the state mired in recession and then-Gov. David Paterson poised to lay off hundreds of state employees, the oblivious Lippman put in for some $1 million in decorating upgrades. Like $368,800 in cherry-wood furniture. And $49,915 in Carrera marble tile. Plus personal refrigerators and microwaves for each justice. Not to mention a $400,000 "museum." The building itself will feature stained-glass skylights and a mural of the Zodiac. No wonder Gov. Cuomo took a public swipe at Lippman for refusing to abide by the 10 percent spending cut he asked for from all agencies during this "time of unprecedented financial hardship." The Office of Court Administration submitted a $2.7 billion budget request -- more than $50 million above last year's. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli actually nixed about half of Lippman's upgrades -- although the marble tiles and the cherry furniture remain. Indeed, it's estimated that the renovation will pay for itself -- sometime around the year 2095. At which point it will be time to start all over.
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42 comments:
Keep looking into Lippman and you will find,
much more and deep, deep corruption, that'll blow your mind.
Not a poet, but a victim.
Nothing but a bunch of double-talking hypocrites...all on tax payers' backs. How do they justify this stuff?
To the above comment @ 1:27 P.M...WOW..!!I can't wait to hear this one.
I'm sure Judge Jonathan Lippman has been handsomely rewarded for his cover-ups!!!!!
Good to see some press on these sanctimonious phonies.
Did Judge Lippman have any regard for Christine Anderson, Esq.? NO, he did not. Did Judge Lippman fire Christine Anderson from the DDC for trying to do her job? Yes, he did. Did Judge Lippman care about Ms. Anderson's rights? No, he did not. He was too busy caring about the corrupt Sherry Cohen & company!
Was Ms. Anderson dispensable because her skin color, race and religion were different from yours, Judge Lippman?
Lippman has to be NY's poster child for the outrageous excesses of NY State Government officials. This misuse of public funds has to end ---now.
When it comes to cutting..let's start at the top. All special privileges must end. No cars, rooming allowances, expense accounts --all must go.
The state budget has been mismanaged for years. Those at the top such as Lippman must be made to sacrifice for the sins of the past. No more allowances, expense accounts , etc, etc.
Lippman can stay at the YMCA - or in a dorm at SUNY Albany. No fancy hotel room for YOU!!!
Understand that Lippman is a King and he runs the kingdom and we are but servants. And the King shall spend and steal all of his subject's possessions as he sees fit.
Hail to the King.
Ooops, rather: HELL FOR THE KING !
Lippman is a public servant--well let him live like one---NOT LIKE A KING !!! NO more perks for you...
The perks stop now for Lippman.
US Congressmen are sleeping in their offices these day. Lippman can sleep in his palatial court chambers.
Screw the YMCA for Lippman.
I have an empty refrigerator box he can use.
Let's hope that these judges report this on their tax returns.
Since each of these judges is being given their own apartment, it should be included as part of their compensation.
(Has the NYS tax department audited all the judges to be sure that they are including that extra $10,000 in their income like the are required to do?)
The Governor should immediately appoint a committee to end all extravagances enjoyed by ranking state employees. Call it the End Lippman Largess Committee. It's time to return responsible budgetary constraints to Albany.
The Chief Judge should set by example. His allowances, budgets and perks should be cut to ZERO until the state can right its finances.
The fact that Lippman cannot recognize this as an outright abuse of office should be adequate grounds to demand his immediate resignation.
Lippman Out Now !!!
Agree...Lippman is the worst example of a public servant. The state is cutting jobs and programs and he's living like a king on public money. THis is an outrage. Agree....LIPPMAN OUT NOW!!!
SUNY accommodations should only be used for deserving students not a hack politician who only knows how to live off the public treasury...LIPPMAN OUT NOW !!!!
Lippman- no hotel room for you - LIPPMAN OUT NOW!!!!!!!
Hypocrite Lippman has no regard for the rule of law or protecting the rights of people...he is an elitist phony!
From Silver's mouth to Lippman's ears and...DONE...and vice versa.
What's the difference between Lippman and Mubarak?
They both seem clueless (or just arrogant).
Gov. Cuomo is making remarkable progress in Albany ethics reform...reform is needed at OCA big time.
Judge Lippman--why don't you practice what you preach? Here's an idea, why don't you give your luxury hotel to the homeless or to the families and children in need of decent shelter?
I'm sure Lippman is behind ALOT of the rampant corruption/cover-ups....No LUXURY HOTEL FOR LIPPMAN...JAIL sounds alot better!!!!JAILLLLLLLLLL!!!!!
What was done by Lippman was with forethought concealed from public knowledge, because said public knowledge would have ended the project long ago. Which members of the Legislature and/or Governor would have voted to approve this? When did AG Cuomo know about this? The value of this was in excess of one thousand dollars to Judge Lippman and added to the enrichment and benefit of Judge Lippman.
Will Cuomo direct Scheiderman to prosecute under § 195.20 Defrauding the government.
A person is guilty of defrauding the government when, being a public servant or party officer, he or she:(a) engages in a scheme constituting a systematic ongoing course of conduct with intent to:
(i) defraud the state or a political subdivision of the state ... to obtain services or other resources from the state ...by false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises; or
(ii)defraud the state ...by making use of property, services or resources of the state, ... (b) so obtains property, services or other resources with a value in excess of one thousand dollars ...
Defrauding the government is a class E felony.
Also, it's time for Scheiderman to speak up and ask Cuomo for the authority to prosecute Lippman and enjoin lippman from any further official acts as Chief Judge.
A few of the court of appeals associate judges actually voiced their opposition to this waste of money, but the corrupt powers that be would not listen as there must be a holy shrine for the corrupt! And the mighty shall fall!
A few of the court of appeals associate judges actually voiced their opposition to this waste of money, but the corrupt powers that be would not listen as there must be a holy shrine for the corrupt! And the mighty shall fall!
In case you were not aware, the isn't anyone in the sate that will prosecute a felony by a judge. Not the AG, DA, Lippman or Schneiderman.
The laws only apply to non-connected citizens.
You can't make this $tuff up! Lippman and his crew are a bunch of gangsters and hear's proof!
THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS, WHO IS THE BUILDER AND ARCHITECT WHO WAS AWARDED THE CONTRACT FOR THIS BUILDING? THAT WILL PROVIDE THE KEY TO THE KICKBACKS? WHERE IS THE CONTRACT FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION AND WHO AUTHORIZED IT BESIDES JUDGE JUDY?
ALSO, HOW COULD CUOMO "SCOLD" THE COURT ABOUT THIS? HE WAS THE ATTY GENERAL OF THE STATE AND ALL HE DOES IS "SCOLD" THEM AND THEN GO AFTER PATTERSON OVER BASEBALL TICKETS? DINAPOLI MERELY CUTS IT BACK? THIS IS GRAND LARCENY AGAINST THE STATE. CRIMINALS ALL.
Please, please, please, don't forget about Amy Lippman, who now calls herself a Judge. These Lippmans are out of control!
They better include this housing as part of their compensation for their State and Federal Taxes.
They wouldn't want to add tax evasion to their resumes.
CuomoTARP.blogspot.com in today's post asks: "Tear this evil from NY" ~ CuomoTARP
"Is Cuomo serious about cleaning out the criminals out of the Albany Swamp and fiscal responsibility or will he try for a cover-up?"
"Andrew Cuomo is aware and has received criminal complaints against Judge Lippman and has a duty to direct Attorney General Schneiderman to prosecute. Andrew Cuomo can immediately ask the legislature to remove Judge Lippman from office."
"the applicable law to remove Judge Lippman: NY Constitution~Article VI § 23. Removal of certain judges and justices, by legislature; § 23. a. Judges of the court of appeals and justices of the supreme court may be removed by concurrent resolution of both houses of the legislature, if two-thirds of all the members elected to each house concur therein.
"Andrew Cuomo is aware and has received criminal complaints against Judge Lippman and has a duty to direct Attorney General Schneiderman to prosecute."
Attorney General Scheiderman can remove Judge Lippman from office with Executive Law § 63-a. Action by attorney-general for forfeiture of public office. The attorney-general may maintain an action, upon his own information or upon the complaint of a private person, against a public officer, civil or military,who has done or suffered an act which by law works a forfeiture of his office.
All bow to the King and Queen: Lippman and Shelly Silver. Hail, one and all.
FUCK THOSE FUCKIN JEWS!!!!!
As old Jackie would say - "How sweet it is!" - when someone else pays for it!
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