RUTGERS SUICIDE PROVES THERE"S A LONG WAY TO GO

Like everyone, I was saddened by the news that an 18-year-old male freshman at Rutgers committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. Initial media reports said his roommate had put a tape og him having sex up on the internet. As distasteful as that is, I remember thinking to myself for most college freshmen that might be a badge of honor in a very juvenile way and certainly not something that would cause you to kill yourself. Then I learned the tape showed him making out with a guy. My God, how insane is that? They make movies about guys getting it on with a hot girl as half the campus tunes in but because it's not hetrosexual you have to kill yourself. We obviously have a long way to go when it comes to real acceptance of same sex relationships. I'm horrified this kid thought the only solution was to kill himself. This incident is a very sobering reminder that prejudice and hate are still very much alive even in places filled with young supposedly evolved college kids.

Brutal Boston Killings Reflect Culture

Four people including a two-year-old child were shot to death in the Mattapan neighborhood in Boston. A fifth man is in critical condition and is not expected to survive. The gunmen are still at large and police are having difficulty getting any cooperation from residents. Mattapan is a primarily minority neighborhood overrun with gangs, drugs and violence. This horrific crime says a lot about the state of many of our inner city neighborhoods. Criminals are so in control that gang-bangers walk the streets wearing "Don't Snitch" T-shirts. The few instances where someone actually came with information on a crime resulted in that person being gunned down by gangs. The reaction is always the same. Everyone turns out for a few highly publicized rallies and vigils against violence and then the TV cameras go home and the thugs come out of the shadows and resume their activities. For the most part residents in other parts of the city unaffected by these incidents say all the right things but in the end don't really care as long as "they" don't start coming into their neighborhood. I'd be curious what you would do to address this problem. Do we send in an occupying force of National Guardsmen as a Washington D.C. mayor suggested a few years ago? Or do we continue deferring to the leadership in the black community to discipline and police themselves? Let me know.

SAY GOOD NIGHT TERESA

Teresa Lewis, a 41-year-old woman convicted of ordering the murders of her husband and stepson was executed in Virginia tonight. Witnesses said Lewis appeared fearful as she was led into the execution chamber. Oh, how terrible! I found it hilarious her supporters began calling her retarded as the execution approached and played the feminist card. Hey, if you want true equality, zap women as well as men.

KEEP PUNCHING CARL

I have to admit I don't know too much about the Republican candidate for Governor Carl Palladino. But I do know a lot about his opponent Andrew Cuomo and that's enough for me. Cuomo is a privleged little jerk who has never had a job Daddy didn't get him. He was in Clinton's cabinet because Bill was trying to make peace with Mario after the Jennifer Flowers tapes showed Bill calling Mario a mobbed up dago. After an undistinguished tour as Secretary of Housing, little Andrew ran for governor and quit before he got smoked by Carl McCall. Then he took a no-show job with a dicey real estate firm before riding Eliot Spitzer's coattails into the AG's office. After a few years of grandstanding press conferences, Andrew and Daddy decided it was time to run for governor. At the moment he has a 16-point lead over the unknown Palladino. Here's the fun part. Carl Palladino isn't intimidated by the Cuomos. He has already questioned Andrew's cajones and has begun slapping him around. He has challenged little Andrew to a debate and Andrew is ducking him. So Palladino has hired guys in duck suits to pass out duck whistles everywhere Andrew goes. Fabulous! It's only a matter of time until the petulant Andrew loses his cool and the lead. It will be fun to watch him get punched in the nose every news cycle until election day.

AHMADINEJAD CALLS U.S. HYPOCRITICAL

In the "Oh, come on" department, Iranian strongman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is called the U.S. hypocrites for condoning the Thursday execution of a Virginia woman while protesting Iran's plan to stone an Iranian woman to death for adultery. Let me walk the Iranian president through this one. The woman in Virginia was convicted of arranging the murder of her husband and stepson. Teresa Lewis was found guilty by a jury not some crazed Mullah. There's also a big difference between a needle and a village full of religious nuts throwing small stones at a woman buried in sand up tp her shoulders with a bag over her head. Can't wait until this lunatic gets some weapons grade uranium working.

ANOTHER HORRIBLE THRUWAY CRASH

What is it about the New York State Thruway near Woodbury? It has to be the most dangerous road this side of Afghanistan. Reports are just coming in that at least 6 people were killed this afternoon in a collision with a tractor-trailer five miles north of Woodbury. Somebody has got to start enforcing the speed limit on this and other heavily traveled roads. There's a big difference in the body count when people are doing 85 instead of 65. The six deceased are said to have been in a church van returning from some event. RIP.

DEMOCRATS STILL DON'T GET IT

Even after getting threir butts whipped on Tuesday, most democrats still don't get it. The first thing they did Wednesday morning was wake up and start calling all the Tea Party winners extremists or racists. That dispicable nonsense might have worked before but it won't fly in 2010. People will not be manipulated or frightened into voting for the same old hacks. They want a new team on the field and they want that team to reflect the frustration and anger they feel. A case in point is all the harrumphing about Carl Pallidino in New York. The fact that he's a little out there won't hurt him a bit. It will be a political asset. I love the sign in Pallidino's office that says "Friends don't let friends elect another Cuomo." The voters have had it with career, entitled hacks like Andrew Cuomo and Chuck Schumer. I'd be looking over my narrow, little shoulders if I were either of them. Stay mad folks and clean House and Senate.

READ TOMORROW"S HUDSON VALLEY NEWS

For fans of Hudson Valley News, tomorrow's edition could be a collector's item. We take on the thuggish Hyde Park Town Board in a fashion that will have folks on either side screaming. Enjoy and let me know what you think! There's also a little breaking news we'll bring you up to speed on tomorrow.

MARTINO JUMPING THE GUN ON COMPTROLLER

Word is Hyde Park Supervisor had the woman he's picked for the new Comptroller's position being introduced around Town Hall Wednesday even though her appointment hasn't even been voted on. That tells me the fix is in and Martino is giving voters the back of his hand again. (Martino's pick has some but limited financial experience while the other candidate has been a comptroller in a number of towns including Fishkill.) Why isn't the board hiring her if it was so important to upgrade the bookkeeper's position? The way it's supposed to work is you have a public hearing and give your fellow board members an opportunity to evaluate the nominees. Unfortunately with the exception of Sue Serino, Martino and the other three slugs on the board just do what they want, the process and public be damned. Here's hoping some folks come out Friday at 1PM to let Martino know they don't like it.

MARTINO DISSES PUBLIC AGAIN

In yet another example of the contempt Hyde Park Supervisor Tom Martino has for residents, he has called for yet another "special meeting" of the town board for this Friday at 1PM. That would be the Friday before the big Labor Day weekend, when many people are on vacation or going away for the last big summer weekend. Remember Martino just had another "special meeting" on Tuesday to vote on sewer warrants, not exactly an emergency item. The purpose of Friday's meeting is to vote on Martino's choice for the new Comptroller's position. (She's a Hyde Park resident who used to work at the Chase bank branch in town.) The reason the cowardly and sneaky Martino has called the meeting for such an inconvenient time is obvious. He doesn't want anyone there or any public discussion. Remember this guy fired Joann Lown at another weekday afternoon "special meeting" while she was out of town visiting her ill father. Martino and his gang of four thugs have no shame and no scruples. They like doing business behind closed doors. It also costs the town money every time he convenes one of these phony meetings. (The lawyer isn't working for free) Hopefully some folks will come out Friday and remind him of that.