Let's turn to the column on Sen. Bruno. No statement was made that with all of the legacies, many good and others questionable, "we must remember that Joe Bruno who had 'a lot of heart' was just a politician." It could have been added that he had an unmatched ego who had his name plastered all around the community as he expended taxpayers money.

It would be appropriate if each of those personal plaques was followed by the statement, "This was paid for by taxpayers money without any voting by the taxpayers or by their elected legislators." Thereby, the editor, in effect, endorsed the longtime Albany mode of operation that the end justifies the means.

The Conflicts of Interest Board, in the largest complaint it has ever issued against city employees, is suspending more than 50 sanitation department workers for using department trucks to collect and sell scrap metal for their own profit. An additional six workers were arrested in June of 2007 on charges of official misconduct and violating state environmental laws, according to a release put out by the city's Department of Investigation.

State investigators launched an early-morning raid Thursday on the Capital Region's largest trash hauler amid a whistleblower's allegations that the company cheated Colonie out of at least $15 million.

The abrupt dismissal of a veteran University of Alabama employee who blogged about the firing of seven US Attorneys has added a bizarre new twist to allegations that the state's US Attorneys targeted political opponents for prosecution.

Roger Shuler -- a high-profile blogger and leading critic of Alabama's judicial system -- has written extensively about alleged corruption among U.S. Attorneys for over a year. In particular, Shuler focused on two US Attorneys from his home state: Alice H. Martin of the Northern District and Leura G. Canary of the Middle District.

An editor in the University of Alabama Birmingham publications office for the last 12 years and a university employee for 19, Shuler was placed on administrative leave May 7 and formally fired May 19.

A bill that would deliver $5.5 million to the city of Albany this year – and $11 million annually in subsequent years – overwhelmingly passed in the state Assembly late on Tuesday night and now awaits Gov. David Paterson’s signature.

The passage is a victory for Mayor Jerry Jennings, who had lobbied hard for the bill and describes it as vital for a city facing a budget gap of at least $7 million. He said the city would likely have to lay off city workers without the state help.

Jennings lobbied state officials to amend the agreement covering payments in lieu of taxes -- PILOTS -- to give the city this year $22.85 million in PILOTS instead $16.85 million. Next year, the city will receive the same $22.85 million instead of $16.1 million that had been scheduled.

The convention center legislation signed in June included $22.85 million a year until 2010, city officials said. Then, starting in 2011, it drops to $15 million a year through 2033, and those funds will assist in defraying the debt service on the hotel portion of the convention center complex. Until then, the PILOT money goes into the operating budget for city expenses

According to political insiders throughout the county, Soares' are the only petitions circulating for the seat, meaning that the freshman prosecutor who so often found himself at the center of controversy may also find himself unopposed come Election Day.

"The long and short of it is that the majority of the people who are qualified and competent are not willing to take a pay cut to do the people's work," said Albany County Conservative Party Chairman Richard Stack.