Thursday, November 05, 2009

The Attorney General's Misplaced Priorities . . .

NY Attorney General Cuomo has filed an antitrust suit against Intel, alleging

. . . chip maker Intel of engaging in “a worldwide, systematic campaign of illegal conduct,” including paying kickbacks and threatening computer makers, and filed federal antitrust charges against it.

Per his press release:

"Intel’s actions not only unfairly restricted potential competitors, but also hurt average consumers who were robbed of better products and lower prices. "

Why does the NY AG have to involve himself in a "worldwide" issue? The European Union seems to already have this Intel issue well in hand. . . . And has anyone really complained about computer prices being too high with products of poor quality lately? Seems to me that computers are getting cheaper and cheaper while their capabilities have increased.

So what's the NY AG really up to? Oh, I forgot . . . He's protecting NYS' business interests since NYS is now heavily invested in AMD, one of Intel's competitors allegedly hurt by the allegedly illegal competition. . . . Never mind that this investment violates Article VIII of the State Constitution. . . . Protecting big business interests apparently has become the state taxpayers' responsibility.

Why wasn't the Water Authority's violation of a 1917 Agreement investigated? The AG's office was contacted about this several years ago, but they passed the buck. What about the forged police lab report in a Utica criminal case? Who was responsible and why no punishment? How about the sewer violations leading to the Consent Order that now will cost people an additional $600/year on their sewer bills? How was that allowed to happen? How about the Hartford's new office building in New Hartford being built without the proper environmental reviews? Was wrongdoing involved? How about Oneida County's treatment of the Raven Rock situation? Were laws broken there?

An overwhelming number of government-created situations suggestive of government corruption posted on this and other local blogs just cry out for investigation, but nothing ever seems to get done . . . and, like the sewer deal, can wind up costing individuals big money.

The AMD's of the world are big enough to protect themselves. Meanwhile, Who protects the People . . . all those footing the bill for Mr. Cuomo's showboating . . . FROM WRONGDOING BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The answer is that Cuomo is posturing to run for Governor as champion of the consumer and little guy. New York voters will likely elect him. And, more taxes and regulations later, more will leave.

Greens and Beans said...

This is the tragedy of filthy politics in New York. It is an insult to the intelligence of all of the New York State voters to have their Attorney General using his office as ground zero to launch his bid to become the next Governor of New York. Would he be pursuing legal action against Intel if they were the chip fab corporation that invested in the Luther Forest Technology Campus Business Park? Is this an elaborate attempt to shake campaign contributions out of the high-tech businesses like AMD who will benefit from this lawsuit?

As all of the pieces of the twisted political puzzle come together, the New York politicians might as well call the voters mentally deficient. The first insult came in mid September (September 19, 2009) when President Obama requested that Governor Patterson abandon any attempt to run for Governor in 2010. (www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/nyregion/20paterson.html?_r=1&hp) The media had a reporting frenzy when it was strategically leaked that the President, being number one nationally elected Democrat, commanded Governor Paterson, being the number one State elected Democrat, to fall on his sword and not run for NY Governor in 2010. This political suicide request was supposedly for the good of the Democrat Party. Governor Paterson would be the scapegoat for the Party’s disastrous credibility collapse in New York. This begs the question if the Cuomo campaign could have prompted the White House make the hari-kari call to Paterson? But, to Governor’s credit, he has rebuffed the President’s political muscling as he will roll out his 2010 political campaign this week. (http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/) Last but not least, the New York State Senate Democrats refuse to acknowledge the Governor as credible when they announced that they will boycott a joint session of the State Legislature on Monday. This also has a foul political odor to favor an Andrew Cuomo run for Governor in 2010. (http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=862103)

New York has a Governor who seeks to tax anything that exists and refuses to credibly scale down the massive State government that mercilessly impedes economic growth. An Attorney General who turns his back on important legal issues that plague the citizens of New York, only to extort campaign funds from those corporations who benefit from his strategically placed lawsuits, all to enrich his campaign coffers. Then to have the President and the Senate Legislature collude to help usher Cuomo into office places an insulting slap squarely on every New York State citizens face. Notwithstanding the shadiness of both Democrats as well as the Republicans, this begs another question regarding Paterson as running for governor in 2010 as a spoiler to hamper a Democratic attempt? By splitting the Democratic votes in 2010, Paterson may be purposely aiding the Republican candidate into the Governor’s office.

Perhaps the President would do well to devote some Stimulus Funds to have New York’s neighboring States build refugee camps for all the New Yorkers who will have to vacate the crumbling Empire State.