$400 a plate? Yet another politician that has lost touch with the real people and the reality of $400 being 2 weeks a groceries for most working families.

"Friends of Steve Bellone" was one of Andrew Cuomo's special interest donors, $41,000.00 worth. http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article226268.ece/BINARY/1021cuomo3.pdf

Mr. Bellone donated quite a sum to cuomo and now Cuomo is paying him back in support. If you don't agree with Cuomo and his policies, send him the message and DO NOT VOTE BELLONE!

Who was it that said that If you get in bed with dogs, you might just wake up with fleas?

If the Feds can pay $1000.00 for a hammer whats $400.00 for a dinner.
Their all nuts

The Patch is letting its political stripes peek through with the use of the word "(P)ad." It us a dirty word in politics. That is disappointing. Please don't let what has been pretty much the peoples' mouthpiece, deteriorate into just another political rag. How about, "just the facts, mam." Thanks.

■Patch.org and Patch journalists do not take a political stance on community issues. We do provide a forum for these issues to be explored and debated.
This is a quote from Patch's own Mission Statement and Guiding Principles. I have read political sway and bias in recent article headlines here on Patch. So I'd say despite their Mission and Principles Patch does from time to time take a political stance via headline verbage and wording of their Questions of the Day. Hyper sensitive? Not really. An observation of a Patch reader, who was merely expressing his/her own opinon. This is the forum that Patch provides for discussions like these.

Leave recent articles and headlines out of the equation, we are talking about *this* article. So if not hypersensitive, why would someone call in to question the use of the word "pad"? Its nitpicking. To me, this article is another example of "just the facts." I'll say again - we've all heard of a sports team "padding" their lead.....am I to conclude that the Yankees are using phony numbers and made-up wins to "pad" their lead over the Red Sox? No. There's no negative connotation. They are increasing their lead. Just as Steve Bellone is increasing - or "padding" - his funds. I'm pretty stupid so could you guys explain to me why this article and headline is even an issue? Unless someone is hypersensitive (my observation), what makes someone call out Patch on this? Maybe there's just something I'm missing. I'm open to hear some thoughts

@ Dan Michaels and Tom Gillen - I am not being hypersensitive, just observant. Dan, thanks for the research. Tom, government and the Yankees do make for strange bedfellows indeed in this, what is a somewhat tortured attempt at a sports analogy matching up with party alliances. (Do you think the boys in Pin Stripes will get a ride down the canyon of heroes this year? Please say yes!) Ah, what a lovely October it could be!

Quick question - ESPN writes an article and the headline reads "Yankees win 5-3, pad lead in AL East." What's your observation? Is it that ESPN is letting it's fanhood peek through? Or is it that they are simply stating a fact?

I hear you, Kim. Something always gets lost in translation during online discussion. Hopefully Mashed can answer my simple question and clear things up.

I think the discussion here has gone off course. I'd propose that sports writers use words a lot looser in actual meaning than political writers. I think the use of a word here. like pad..and we are speaking about a word aren't we? It's unfair and improper to compare sports writing and political writing verbage. In the two different venues the same word is offered and applied differently. For example..."the Yankees bomb Boston" meaning a win by long ball home runs...see what I mean...sports words used in political articles come across differently. Again, my opinion. Nothing more.

I hear ya Dan. I really appreciate you keeping this civil and mature, too often these discussions devolve into pointless bickering and nobody's point gets across. Yeah that really was the point I was trying to make....its just a word. Just in an effort to keep it on the word in question - IMO whether a team is padding their lead or a candidate is padding their campaign funds, the word means the same thing in my eyes. I think it just depends on the perspective of the reader and how they interpret the use of the same phrase. I guess I just don't see how this headline or the use of the word 'pad' is an example of Patch somehow favoring one candidate or another. (Side note - as a long suffering Mets fan, I've already said Yankees way too many times)

A word can have two completely different meanings depending upon the context in which it is used. In politics, the word "pad," generally refers to adding money, votes or often, illogical support for a particularly unpopular project or politician.

In sports, it always refers to an insurance policy of increasing one's lead over an opponent in a game or standings, a fact readily ascertainable by reading the sports statistics.

There is nothing readily ascertainable reading about padding anything in politics. I had no idea this observation about the use and context of a word would stir the pot, so.

My comment was not in any way directed at the author. However, if Ms.D' Ambrosio felt I was directing my comment at her in any way, please, be assured, I was not, and please, do not be offended. You did a great job! It was a VERY important article. I read the article and realized that when the word "pad," was used was used, and it appears, it was the proper meaning, it colored the words to a meaning political in nature, I read it more closely than I when I am reviewing the baseball standings. Interesting how people see a word and see it one way, while others see the same word and view it in another context. The power of the pen is still, truly powerful.

Ms. D'Ambrosio, please keep writing. You are good!

Thanks a lot for the well thought out response, Mashed. I agree with everything you said except one area - your opinion that padding, in a political arena, is used when referring to an unpopular politician. I've never taken it that way, I always took it to refer to any candidate, popular or otherwise. I guess that's why we disagreed on the meaning of the title. Thanks for clarifying. P.S. - I think the Phillies are going to win it all....wow that was tough, it KILLS me to say that! Hah

In my eyes padding is synonymous with increasing. Whether it be a lead in the polls or a lead in sports. The funny thing about politics - you could have 5 people read the same article and get 5 different impressions.

Mr. Gillen ~ That is the beauty of our system of civil discord. Reasonable people can diagree, but bringing up the Phillies? Here I was, enjoying my Haagen Daz, which is made in the Bronx! Hopefully, I will see the ghosts of Yankees past and present in October and not a team that may not even come from a city with a decent ice cream manufacturer!

Tom,Frank here regarding the parks not this issue. I am meeting with the Nissequoque park manager who is willing to put up a display. I am looking at the idea of local photographers displaying their works. How can I reach you other than through patch comments?

In the next election cycle the party affiliation "Democrat" is going to be FINALLY made an endangered species !

BELLONE IS A THIEF who has been ripping off tax payers for years !

When he visited Rocky Point and gave it his KISS OF DECAY, you knew he was lining up with BONNER to begin the Tax Payer Money Feeding Frenzy TO RIP IT OFF UNTIL IT TURNS OUT LIKE PATCHOGUE !

And you Mary Beth are, obviously by your postings, a Democrat-Progressive who is very happy with BIG GOVERNMENT SHARPIES like Bellone and his kind, who have been "RIPPING OFF" this locality, some Families for generations, in Public Employee or Elected Jobs!

They have left in their wake NOTHING, but the clear message that a public employee job, or elected job is like getting a PERSONAL ATM CARD into the pockets of local Tax Payers for LIFE !

All one has to do is belong to ANY political party, "parrot" the "right" words and phrases, give a toothy smile, and you get rewarded with MONEY AND POWER !

And it's a special kind of Power, to legally STEAL, irrespective of political party, or party endorsement ! Elections and Town Boards are a FARCE; there are better representative government bodies in VENEZUELA OR CHINA !

Funny thing though because this kind of stealing is at a tipping point...THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO STEAL, THAT THEY CAN HIDE ANYMORE ! Left to their devices they are looking for new avenues to "steal" after the BAD economy has overturned the "rock" under which they have been hiding for DECADES !

PATCHOGUE, RIVERHEAD, HAUPPAUGUE, ROCKY POINT, CORAM, SELDEN, MIDDLE ISLAND, PORT JEFFERSON STATION, with Miller Place and Port Jefferson on tap to be DECAYED, stand as evidence of their Avarice and GREED !

One thing you BIG GOVERNMENT advocates can't deny is WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE TODAY ! THAT IS THE PICTURE OF YOUR POLITICAL AGENDA !

Smithtown Rez, I said

"All one has to do is belong to ANY political party, "parrot" the "right" words and phrases, give a toothy smile, and you get rewarded with MONEY AND POWER !

And it's a special kind of Power, to legally STEAL, irrespective of political party, or party endorsement !"

BUT it's the BIG GOVERMENT DEMOCRAT PROGRESSIVES, that this CORRUPTION is a religion to !

The Bellone Team:

Raised your town general fund tax by 13.82% this year?
Increased your town general fund tax by 9.39%, your town highway tax by 17.99%, and your lighting district tax by 9.99% one week after the November 2007 election, bringing total tax increases to over 35% during over the last four years?
Overcharged for garbage collection for 8 years in a row and accumulated as much as $41 million of taxpayer money in a slush fund?
To this point, voted in favor of $40 million in new debt in 2010 and 2011 to take property away from rightful landowners (eminent domain) and sewer downtown Wyandanch at your expense?
As reported in Newsday, are in favor of spending $500 million (that is half of $1 billion) on the Wyandanch Rising project?

The current administration wants to keep you in the dark. Standard "Freedom of Information" requests are ignored. Town Board meetings are not broadcasted on television or the internet. It was only after Matt Groh exposed the town's abuses and demanded a refund that garbage taxes were reduced. Moreover, to now claim that taxes were "cut" this year is deceptive. Same old Babylon! Since when is paying back money wrongfully taken from you a "tax cut." It is not a "tax cut." It is a "refund!"

As expected, “Bellone Team”members Jacqueline Gordon and Tom Donnelly have joined in the deception!

In a full page ad on page 14C of the September 1, 2011 Beacon Shopper, Gordon is quoted as saying, “I am proud to have joined with Steve Bellone to give a tax cut to Babylon families in these tough economic times.” Oh really? Has anyone seen the video footage of the July 12, 2011 town board meeting wherein Gordon admits to having increased town taxes by more than 35% during her first five (5) years on the board? If not, please click on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1_FcSClKAM&feature=youtu.be.

The Babylon Town Democrat Committee has pledged to “bury” William “Matt” Groh with all of the contributions they have received as a result of more than two (2) decades of town contracts and patronage jobs. With all that money, why do they insist on clinging to the obviously false claim that they “cut” taxes?

In addition to the video footage, the campaign website, www.gowithgroh.com, traces the truth about taxes in Babylon, the genesis of the lie, the present fraud, and the 2007 election year fraud. In particular, please pay close attention to the 2007, 2008, and 2009 audit reports by NYS Comptroller Dinapoli.

http://westislip.patch.com/blog_posts/steve-bellone-in-bed-with-radicals