Joe Bruno, that is.

He was on the state payroll for 39 years, and his base legislative salary was $79,500. But you will be financing his retirement with an annual pension of $95,000, based on 41.7 years of pension credits.

How’s that?

Well, the pension calculation also takes into account an additional “stipend” of $41,000 he got as majority leader. And he gets an extra two years of pension credits as a Tier 1 system worker qualified for Section 80-a benefits for legislative employees who began before July 1, 1973 under a law that somehow got through the Senate in 2000 — while Joe Bruno was majority leader.

So, he passed a law that approved more money for him.

Jack Davis at the Center for Inquiry on February 1, 2008. It’s an “invasion”.

Here’s some handy de-bunking of Jack Davis’ misinformed and patently xenophobic venom.

Here’s him talking about his three-pronged platform:

In other news, Larry “wide stance” Craig is still a Senator.

HT Wonkette

A California court ruled that the creator of Bratz dolls, Carter Bryant, came up with the idea while he was working for Mattel.

It means that Mattel could be awarded millions of dollars when the jury comes to consider damages.

MGA Entertainment could even be stopped from selling the popular large-headed, multi-ethnic, urban fashion dolls.

Mattel had claimed that the name and design of Bratz dolls were based on drawings done by Carter Bryant while he was under a contract that entitled the world’s biggest toymaker to his designs.

Mattel shares rose 4.4% in after-hours trading.

This has been stuck in my mind for the past couple of weeks:

In his letter, Issa also confirmed he is having difficulties obtaining a visa to travel to the United States.

“At the present time I am awaiting my travel documents to be returned by the [U. S.] Embassy,” Issa wrote.

Issa is a British citizen. The UK is part of the visa waiver program:

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa

Why does he need a visa, and why is he having difficulty?

Then, you click through and you get the restaurant’s phone number and address. This is easily the coolest app I’ve downloaded so far, and it’s available (without the slot effect) for any web-enabled cellphone here.

Hi, this is Bill O’Loughlin calling.

What I’m about to say to you I’d like to say in person, but I never have a chance to do so, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to the Park Country Club to do it, so therefore I choose not to, and since I don’t see you anywhere else, I thought I’d leave a voice mail to try and let you know what I have on my mind. (more…)

One down, one to go.

Coastal Consulting South
820 South Green Circle
Venice, Florida 34285

That outfit received $1,250 per month, a total of $5,000.

Coastal Consulting at 820 South Green Circle? Yeah, it’s owned by one:

ORSINI, ANTHONY LOUIS
820 S. GREEN CIRCLE
VENICE, FL 34285

And there’s another political consultant whom the Davis campaign has on its payroll.

Blanca Semidey
2 Loring Place
Rochester, New York 14624

Blanca Semidey is using her maiden name. She is otherwise known as Blanca Colon, the wife of Monroe County Independence Party chairman Rafael Colon. She, too, was paid $1,250 per month, a total of $5,000, as a “campaign consultant”.

Why has Jack Davis’ campaign spent $10,000 to Independence Party operatives in Monroe and Erie Counties?

Why are the disbursements listed in such a way as to not be obvious payoffs to the IP?

What promises were made or guarantees given in exchange for the $10,000 in payments to Colon and Orsini?

Why pay these people off if the IP line will be held by Anthony Fumerelle?