Senator Antoine Thompson
The Senator says that he sometimes affixes his name as a sponsor of a bill even if he still has some concerns about it, and then if his concerns aren’t met, he says he wants his name off the bill, or that he’s voting against the bill.
My understanding of how legislatures generally work is that you don’t put your name to a bill as a sponsor or co-sponsor unless you endorse the letter and spirit of the proposed legislation.
If you watch this new video from WGRZ’s Claudine Ewing, Senator Chuck Schumer agrees that you should read and understand a bill that you sponsor. Because it means you endorse the content of the bill.
Thompson has put his name to 44 separate bills in the State Senate since going to Albany in January. When a bill is presented, its sponsor[s] draft a short summary of the bill and why it is necessary. A screenshot of a sponsor’s memo for a bill sponsored by Thompson (having to do with a bottle deposit) reads as follows:
Discarded beverage bottles and cans create a hazard to vehicular traffic, a source of physical injury to pedestrians, farms [sic] animals and machinery.
But there are other gems in there, as well. Witness the sentence immediately preceding the one shown on TV:
Discarded bottles and cans, especially beverage containers[sic] is[sic] a growing problem of state concern and a direct threat to the health and safety to the citizens of this state.
Forget terrorism, violence, and police protection. Forget even the exodus of population and moribund economy. We must immediately end the scourge of carelessly discarded wine and water bottles! How many more must die before we slap a 5 cent deposit on Gatorade?!
I thought it was a littering issue. I didn’t realize the horrific bodily harm caused by Aquafina and Corbett Canyon cans every year.
In addition, Thompson is sponsoring a bill that would enable state officers and workers to take an additional two days “leave of absence” per year so they can…well, you read it:
Parent’s[sic] often desire to participate in their children’s education and often times[sic] are prevented from doing so because of the constrictions of the workplace and their obligations to it. The children and the educational institutions of this state would greatly benefit from the participation of the parents. Parents should be able to participate in their children’s educate[sic] to as great a degree as their employer will allow.
I think that speaks for itself, no?
He does, however, support raising the speed limit on certain roads to 75MPH. Since that’s the speed most traffic travels at, that’d be fine.
1776 Says:May 11th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Well, maybe if Antoine’s mother wasn’t [deleted] who had participated in his “educate”, he would not mangle English to such an appalling degree.
Antoine may be the most absurdly incompetent Legislator in Upstate New York’s history. He can’t even do as much as Byron Brown did as Senator–Antoine wouldn’t know how to properly spell any of the street names he would want to rename.
ryan Says:May 11th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Which government school is Thompson the fine product of?
1776 Says:May 11th, 2007 at 10:27 am
According to AT’s official Senate bio, cut-and-pasted from his Senate webpage (note the English usage is almost as poor as detailed in BP’s post):
He is a graduate of public schools #60, #61 and Bennett High School. In high school, Antoine received All-High and Western New York honors in Cross-Country and Track & Field, meanwhile serving as the captain of both teams during his senior year.
A graduate of the State University of New York College at Brockport, he has studied extensively Black, African, and American history and government. Antoine received a dual Bachelor of Science degree in History. In 1994, Antoine studied at the University of Ghana, West Africa, on government and social change. He presented papers on subjects related to Black theology and history of American Slavery.
Paul Jonson Says:May 11th, 2007 at 10:28 am
http://www.nyssenate60.com/biography.asp
dougk Says:May 11th, 2007 at 11:08 am
what a crock…wonder how my ‘blue collar’ parents managed the education of three succesfull children; however, i’m a sensitive soul, so if ‘constrictions of the workplace and…obligations’ are an unsurmountable obstace to participatory education, let me propose an un-paid floating half-day, as needs of the business pemit, for greater involvemnt in the education of (insert the sound of harps and short video glimpses of fluttering eye lids) of “THE CHILDREN”
Richard Says:May 11th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Why is anyone surprised about Antoine equating quality of life with litter? We have had two Mayors, and numerous councilpeople in Buffalo who have redefined “quality of life” as litter, grafitti, garbage totes at the curb, etc. etc. Our politicians have done this because they are incapable of addressing the real “quality of life” issues such as parks and athletic facilities for children, safe neighborhoods, and schools with meaningful curriculums and successful students. When you elect intellectual stumps as leadersdo not expect them to guide you into a better future or community.
JOE D. Says:May 11th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Antwerp Thompson overheard when handed a bill so sign”DUHHHH, WHERE DO I SIGN ?? WHERE DO I SIGN??”
He is surely an emberassment to all voters, especially the African Americans who trusted him to represnent and be a “role model”?
George Stevenson Says:May 12th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Food for thought:
What’s worse?
1) George Holt “forgetting” his sales tax twice
2) Antoine cosponsoring a bill giving himself a pay raise and then admitting he didn’t read the bill.
3) Mike Cole sleeping it off in an intern’s apartment after having three beers too many and then admitting his error in judgment.
I don’t know the answer, but one and two both cost me money. Three is a moral issue.
Where do party affiliation and race fit in this discussion? Is it worse to be a dumb white politician or a dumb black one?
Paul Jonson Says:May 12th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
1 and 2.
dougk Says:May 12th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
both
al Says:February 18th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
It doesn’t take a genius to blow one vote (out of hundreds) out of proportion and go on like a character assassin - and i guess you’re the proof. Plus, you seem to be pro-litter.
I have been watching WNY politics for 40+ years. Antoine Thompson does more to represent the interests of his constituents than anyone I can remember. I’d vote for him twice.