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Troops oust Honduran president in feared coup
By Ana Fernandez

Honduran troops arrested President Manuel Zelaya in a dawn raid on his home Sunday and flew him out of the country in an apparent military coup just hours before a controversial referendum.

"Troops have taken the president from his home to the air force," the president's personal secretary, Enrique Reina, told reporters, just hours before Zelaya had sought to hold a referendum on extending his four-term term.

The first such major political unrest in several decades in the impoverished Central American nation came amid a bitter power struggle between Zelaya, elected to a non-renewal term in 2005, and the country's military and legal institutions.

Zelaya was swiftly flown to neighbouring Costa Rica as the Honduran Supreme Court said it had in fact ordered his ouster to preserve law and order.

"I am the victim of a kidnapping by Honduran soldiers... I was deceived by the military elite," Zelaya told Venezuelan-based Telesur television.

A neighbour told Radiocadena Voces television about 200 troops swooped on Zelaya's home just as dawn was breaking around 6:00 am and his house remained surrounded by heavily armed troops, an AFP photographer saw.

A leading government official, Armando Sarmiento, told AFP that at least eight cabinet members were also detained including Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas who had urged Zelaya's supporters to protest his ouster.

"Our president has been kidnapped. It is by taking to the streets that we can succeed in obtaining his release," she told Telesur earlier.

As planes and helicopters overflew the capital, several hundred Zelaya supporters ignored warnings to stay home and flooded onto the streets of Tegucigalpa shouting out, "We want Mel," the president's nickname.

The protestors were members of groups which had backed Zelaya's moves to revise the constitution to allow him to stand for a second term.

But the demonstration was halted in front of the presidential palace when the way was barred by a cordon of troops and armored vehicles.

"One officer threatened to throw grenades," said protestor Isidro Portillo."

Other protesters, some with their faces covered, lay down in the streets to prevent the passage of military vehicles.

Zelaya, who took up office in 2006, had planned a vote Sunday asking Hondurans to sanction a future referendum to allow him to run for reelection after his term ends in January.

The planned referendum had been ruled illegal by the country's top court and was opposed by the military, but the president said he planned to press ahead with it anyway and ballot boxes had already been distributed.

US President Barack Obama said he was deeply concerned about the unfolding events in Honduras, as the European Union also called for Zelaya's release.

"I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter," Obama said in a statement.

"Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue free from any outside interference."

The apparent coup is the latest dramatic event in a tense political standoff over the past several days.

Last week Zelaya sacked the country's top military chief, General Romeo Vasquez and also accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Edmundo Orellana, after military commanders refused to distribute ballot boxes for Sunday's vote.

The heads of the army, marines and air force also resigned.

The Honduran Supreme Court then unanimously voted Thursday to reinstate Vasquez and hundreds of troops massed late last week in the capital Tegucigalpa.

Zelaya, who was elected as a conservative, has shifted dramatically to the left during his presidency.

He is the latest in a long list of Latin American leaders, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, to seek constitutional changes to expand presidential powers and also ease term limits.

Chavez also denounced Sunday's arrest as a "coup d'etat" and alleged that the United States had a hand in Zelaya's overthrow.

And he warned that if Venezuela's envoys to Honduras were harmed he would be prepared to intervene militarily.

Putting New York Back Together
By Rudolph W. Giuliani

NEW YORK STATE government is not working. This has been true for some time. But the paralysis and confusion that has overtaken the capital demonstrates the need to confront this dysfunction directly and take decisive steps to solve it once and for all. That’s why I’m calling on Albany to convene a state constitutional convention.

This is not a partisan criticism. There is enough blame for all to share. Recently, though, the situation in our state has gone from bad to worse.

There are more New Yorkers unemployed than at any time in 33 years, and the poverty rate is rising. Our combined state and local tax burden is the highest in the nation after New Jersey. Our business tax climate is rated the second worst in the country. And in the face of the worst recession in a quarter-century, the State Legislature decided to increase spending by 9 percent while increasing taxes and fees by $8 billion. No wonder a recent poll showed that more than 20 percent of New Yorkers are thinking of leaving the state in search of lower taxes and fewer government mandates.

Over the course of New York’s history, our state has held seven constitutional conventions, one as recently as 1967. Calling another convention would be an extraordinary step, but it is a necessary and effective way to overcome the challenges we face. It would be an opportunity for Republicans, Democrats and independents to come together, take a long hard look at our problems and then propose real, lasting solutions.

If the State Legislature were to approve the measure in the next few weeks, New Yorkers could vote on whether to proceed with a constitutional convention this November. A “yes” vote would move the process forward, allowing voters to choose a slate of delegates in November 2010. After the convention took place, the recommendations would be put forward to the people for an up-and-down vote.

The specific measures should be left to the convention itself and then judged by the voters. But to start the debate I offer seven recommendations for reform.

THE BUDGET PROCESS The governor should be empowered to set revenue estimates on his own, as the mayor of New York City does, adjusting future spending against responsible benchmarks rather than unrealistic estimates. The budget should conform to generally accepted accounting principles, and there should also be a formal four-year financial plan allowing for transparency and long-term planning. Finally, if a new budget is not adopted by April 1, the previous year’s budget should be automatically continued.

TERM LIMITS All statewide elected officials and members of the Legislature should be term limited to bring new blood into Albany while stopping the careerism that too often blocks real progress. A citizens’ legislature would be more effective in addressing New Yorkers’ problems with a fresh perspective.

REDISTRICTING New York’s Legislature has been called the most dysfunctional in the nation, yet Albany legislators enjoy a 98 percent re-election rate. They avoid accountability through partisan gerrymandering, which has reduced the number of competitive elections, depriving millions of voters of real choices.

An independent commission, rather than the legislators themselves, should draw up district lines to ensure the system is not rigged to reward incumbent legislators or one party over another.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE Special interests have a disproportionate influence over state politics in large part because of a weak campaign finance system with high contribution limits and lax disclosure requirements. Individuals can give up to $55,900 to gubernatorial candidates and $15,500 for State Senate candidates. Unions and other special interests exploit loopholes that allow millions of dollars worth of phone banks, volunteers and other in-kind contributions. There are no regular audits and minimal fines, and an unlimited amount of money can be transferred to candidates from party committees.

SUPERMAJORITY FOR TAX INCREASES Too often increasing taxes is the first impulse for Albany legislators. Requiring a supermajority for tax increases would provide a powerful check on those who still think we can tax and spend our way out of economic problems. A supermajority would protect already over-burdened citizens and attract businesses, improving our long-term competitiveness.

JUDICIAL PAY The integrity of an independent judiciary depends on being able to attract qualified people who are not beholden to party bosses and power brokers. Instituting an automatic cost-of-living adjustment on an improved base salary would take the politics out of judicial pay raises.

SUCCESSION FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Over the last 40 years, New York has been without a lieutenant governor three times. The lack of any established process of succession for the state’s second in command creates the potential for chaos. In the interest of simplicity, stability and transparency, clear lines of succession must be established.

Many of these suggestions have enjoyed bipartisan support in the past. What’s been missing is action. Legislators have not been leading. But we citizens can take charge and carry out these fundamental reforms through a constitutional convention. Together we can cure the structural dysfunction of our politics and hand New York to the next generation better and stronger than it was handed to us.

Rudolph W. Giuliani was the mayor of New York from 1994 to 2001.

From the Niagara Gazette

ALBANY — For state Sen. George Maziarz, Monday’s surprising move by Republicans and two dissident Democrats to take control of the state Senate boils down to one word:

Reform.

“This is a new day where all the reforms that have long been talked about in Albany will finally come true,” the Republican senator said in a release. “Term limits for the majority leader. Term limits for committee chairs. A real C-Span-type broadcast so taxpayers can see firsthand how the Senate operates.

“Transparency is now coming to the Senate.”

Those were the words from Maziarz, R-Newfane, after two Democrats, Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens, joined Republicans to form a majority coalition. Democrats had held the chamber 32-30. Espada and Monserrate voted with Republicans to appoint Dean Skelos, the Republican minority leader, as the majority leader. Neither Espada nor Monserrate changed party affiliation.

Shortly after the coup, Republicans named Espada temporary president of the Senate and Republican Dean Skelos of Nassau County vice president and majority leader. Skelos was majority leader in 2008.

Confusion erupted as Democrats scrambled to head off the GOP effort, at one point leaving in protest, shutting of the lights in the chamber and telling staff members to leave. Staff remained behind and Republicans held a series of votes, 32-0, effectively taking control.

The Democratic leader, state Sen. Malcolm Smith, sent a brief statement to reporters calling the Republican effort “illegal” and claiming still to be in charge, though Democrats failed to gain enough votes to adjourn prior to the GOP vote to appoint Skelos majority leader.

It remains unclear what legal basis Democrats have for objecting.

Local state Sen. Antoine Thompson did not return a call seeking comment.

Shortly after their coup bringing them to power, Republicans passed reforms to parliamentary rules that contained sweeping changes in how the body operates.

State Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, reached by phone in Albany, laid out the reforms:

• Members in the minority will have the ability to bring bills to a full vote on the floor. Previously, members could petition to have legislation reach a vote, but the majority leader could opt instead to send the bill to a majority-controlled committee, effectively killing any chance of an up-or-down vote.

  “That’s a huge, huge, huge reform,” Maziarz said.

• Term limits for leadership positions were also enacted. The majority leader will serve no more than six years and a committee chair no more than eight years. Albany had previously been well known for singular figures totally in charge of a chamber.

  “There will never be another Joe Bruno,” Maziarz said.



• Minority members will be given an equal number of staff members on committees. Previously, majority members were assigned a much larger staff.


• Committees will now be represented proportionally. In the past, a committee might have only a small number of minority members. Now, committees will be composed by the same number of senators in proportion to their party’s representation in the entire body. With its current near-even composition, committee votes will likely be much closer. It will also set off a huge reshuffling of committee assignments for individual senators.


• The state Senate will create a television station similar to C-SPAN, that will broadcast the chamber’s business to all New Yorkers. Presently, residents can only see what’s happening on the floor by going online and viewing a streaming video feed.

Asked why Republicans only now passed such reforms, after being in control of the chamber for some 40 years, Maziarz said, “I think that clearly with this coalition, maybe we’ve come to the conclusion it’s the right thing to do.”

One behind-the-scenes player familiar to Western New Yorkers appears to have played a pivotal role in the proceedings.

“It’s a great day for the state of New York,” said B. Thomas Golisano. The Rochester billionaire, who has run unsuccessfully for governor three times, has spent millions to support candidates he feels will reform Albany to become more democratic and supportive of business.

The move was secretly in the works for more than five weeks and Golisano was a major player in creating the coalition, said a Republican who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak for the GOP senators.

New York’s government is run by near absolute control of the majority party and its top leaders. Monday’s action would create the first coalition in power for at least 50 years.

And that’s good news for Western New York, according to Maziarz.

“To me this isn’t about control switching from one party to another. It’s about making sure Western New York is treated fairly so we can rebuild our economy,” he said. “I have been a tough critic of others these last few months when I didn’t think they were delivering for our community. Well now, given the events of today, the people of Western New York can count on me to walk the walk.”

In his May 11 letter ("Haven't You Noticed Term Limits Are in the Constitution"), Thomas J. Miranda claims that "the Constitution already provides for term limits," but that people "are too stupid" to do their constitutional duty and vote their representatives out of office.

He is right that over 90% of U.S. House incumbents are routinely re-elected to their seats, but "stupidity" is not the explanation.

In 2008, 55 incumbent seats went unchallenged. In many more seats, the incumbent was challenged by a drastically underfunded candidate who didn't receive meaningful support from their own party. And many of these were simply gadflies.

This situation did not occur because people are stupid, but for the very rational reason that against such odds it does not pay for successful, goal-oriented people to run for office against incumbents. It is rational for parties to avoid using limited resources on unwinnable seats. Meanwhile, special interests quite rationally fill the coffers of and maintain their relationships with entrenched incumbents.

For these reasons among others, voters get lousy choices and incumbents are practically unbeatable. Term limits would change this dynamic by providing open, competitive races at regular intervals in every congressional seat. It's a smart idea.

Philip Blumel

Atlantis, Fla.

Potential candidates know that the chance of defeating an incumbent is so small that it's not worth the effort.

With term limits the number of candidates for an open seat would be much larger. They wouldn't be running in a race skewed by the advantages of incumbency.

And then, I hope, with new, term-limited members in Congress the rest of the Constitution would have a better chance to operate as it should.

George Rosser

Charlotte, N.C.

 Poster Children for Term Limits

Take a moment to check out George Blumel's great new blog, Poster Children for Term Limits, where he highlights some of the members of Congress whose behavior makes a strong case for term limits.

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