Sound Shore

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson has been named a delegate in support of President Barack Obama.

Other prominent Democrats from the area who will join Bramson as delegates to the national convention, to be held Sept. 3 in Charlotte, N.C., are former New Castle Supervisor Barbara Gerrard; State Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson; Reginald Lafayette, chairman of the Westchester County Democratic Committee; and Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence.

The Republicans will open their convention Aug. 27 in Tampa, Fla. Are Republicans named delegates to the convention included Vincent D. Reda, chairman of the Rockland County Republican Committee; John P. Cahill, former aide to Gov. George Pataki and, like Reda; and State Sen. Gregory Ball. All three are pledged to support Mitt Romney.

It’s Thursday. We’re inching closer to the long holiday weekend. Here’s a glance at opinion content published today:

Greg Ball and gay marriage: Editorial
We comment on the political mechanics and arm-twisting that led to the state Senate’s 33-29 vote to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. In particular, we assess state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, who, as The New York Times reported, sought campaigning assistance from high-profile Republican conservatives, including former Vice President Dick Cheney. We write:

… Ball explained himself in an email, the blog reported: “As far as Cheney, we suggested the need to have nationally prominent conservatives ready to support moderate Republicans willing to support either civil unions or marriage equality, in tough primaries. Hopefully they listened, because some of these voting yes are going to have a tough re-election fight.”

(more…)

Here’s a glance at today’s opinion content:

Health-insurance exchanges: Editorial
We encourage the state Senate to return to Albany to take care of some legislative odds ands ends, chief among them a bill that would create a health-insurance exhange — a market for uninsured individuals and small-business owners to buy coverage that is mandated by federal health-care reform. We write:

… The delay already narrows the odds for winning federal start-up grants. The state will miss Friday’s application deadline for Washington funds; the next deadline is Sept. 1, but there is no telling how much federal money will remain at that juncture. …

(more…)

Good Wednesday morning. Here’s a sampling of opinion content published today in The Journal News:

Greg Ball, Ed Koch and redistricting: Editorial
We comment on news that former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and his New York Uprising Group have created an “Enemies of Reform” roster of state Legislators who have backed away from pledges to back an independent commission on redistricting. Among Koch’s “enemies” is state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Carmel. We write:

Voters, public interest groups, community groups, even editorial boards sometimes — they are so used to elected officials breaking promises, they barely notice the umpteen-hundredth time it happens. So many pledges and promises were put on the table in the last election cycle, it was a near certainty that disappointment would follow. The group New York Uprising, however, isn’t taking such slights sitting down, as state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Carmel, is discovering. He’s even getting a taste of his own in-your-ear politics.

(more…)

Good Monday morning. Here’s a look at opinion content published over the weekend in The Journal News:

Saturday, April 9
Federal budget: Commentary
Doyle McManus, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, comments on last week’s 2012 budget proposal from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. While the plan is far from perfect, McManus does offer Ryan a bit of praise:

… On one major point, Ryan has done a great service. He has made it clear that if you’re serious about cutting the federal deficit, you have to make a choice: low taxes or guaranteed Medicare coverage. You can’t have both. …

Good afternoon. Here’s a look at opinion content published today in The Journal News:

Astorino’s State of the County address: Editorial
As Congress and the Obama administration continue to negotiate in an effort to resolve the federal budget and avoid a government shutdown, we suggest our leaders in Washington might learn something from Westchester’s political leaders. Despite a near-constant struggle over just about everything, the administration of County Executive Rob Astorino and the Board of Legislators are getting things accomplished. We comment on Astorino’s State of the County address:

Good morning. Here’s a glance at opinion content published today in The Journal News:

Greg Ball and homeland security: Editorial
We comment on news that state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Carmel, who chairs the state Senate’s Homeland Security, will host a hearing Friday in Manhattan that will focus on Indian Point’s security. Among those who will testify, we write, are “a pair of virulent, high-profile and unabashedly anti-Islam critics.” We continue:

…The odds of either Nonie Darwish or Frank Gaffney, Ball’s firebrand invitees, informing or improving our safety and security are absolutely nil.

(more…)

State Sen. Greg Ball, R-Carmel, last week became the latest New York official to propose legislation that would strip public servants of their pensions if they are convicted of a felony related to their duties.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli have made similar proposals.

Is stripping pensions of convicted felons a good idea?