This morning's Journal reports on the dedication of a monument to three Ithaca firefighters who lost their lives in 1906 fighting a fire at Chi Psi fraternity. Why am I noting this Ithaca event, however worthy? Because the building where they were fighting the fire was created by Jennie McGraw-Fiske, who grew up in Dryden on North Street. Mike Lane told the story well last month, telling Jennie's own complicated story, the story of the house, and the story of the tragedy which killed four Chi Psi members as well as the three firefighters.
The Journal's editorial notes the Albany Times-Union's successful lawsuit to get the state Assembly and Senate to fully disclose their lists of borrowed pork projects, a subject I've been banging on for a few years here. They don't have nearly the detail that the Binghamton paper does, but it's good to see it in an editorial if not in a news article. Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton writes a letter where she tries to separate herself from some statewide items credited in part to her, including a grant to NARAL.
That last bit seems extra strange to me. I know New York State government is overwhelmed by lobbyists, but why are they giving money to organizations whose stated purpose is lobbying and politics? I think of Planned Parenthood as a services organization with a political wing supporting that mission, but NARAL has always seemed pretty purely political.
Strange. At least the information is public now, so we can talk about it.
Posted by simon at December 8, 2006 8:11 AM in Ithaca Journal , politics (state)