A death threat is a threat, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion. For example, a death threat could be used to dissuade a public figure from pursuing a criminal investigation or an advocacy campaign.

In many jurisdictions, death threats are a criminal offense. Death threats are often covered by coercion statutes. For instance, the coercion statute in Alaska says:

Methods

A death threat can be communicated via a wide range of mediums, among these letters, newspaper publications, telephone calls, internet blogs, and e-mail. If the threat is made against a political figure, it can also be considered treason. If a threat is against a non-living location that frequently contains living individuals (e.g. a building) it could be a terrorist threat. Sometimes death threats are part of a wider campaign of abuse targeting a person or a group of people (see terrorism, mass murder).

Here is an example of an actual death threat, from the book ''Wordcrime'' by John Olsson. This is a genuine example from a criminal case, provided by the Forensic Linguistics Institute, which analyzes all kinds of text, including traditional letters, ransom demands, hate mail, various texts via mobile phone; SMS device, etc., for authorship:

Death threats against a head of state

In the United States and other countries, including democracies, monarchies, and authoritarian governments, threatening to kill a head of state (such as a king, president or prime minister) is considered a crime, for which punishments vary. U.S. law provides for up to 5 years in prison for threatening the President of the United States. In the United Kingdom under the Treason Felony Act 1848 it is illegal to attempt to kill or deprive the Monarch of her throne. This offense was originally punished with Penal transportation and then was changed to the death penalty and currently the penalty is Life Imprisonment.

Osman warning, letter or notice

These are warnings of death threat or high risk of murder that are issued by British police or legal authorities to the expected victim. They are used when there is intelligence of the threat, but there is not enough evidence to justify the police arresting the expected murderer.

The warnings are named after a high-profile case, Osman v United Kingdom, of police failing to protect individuals despite some warning signs pointing at impending aggression. The murderer in this case said to the police: "Why didn't you stop me before I did it, I gave you all the warning signs?" The police had known that the murderer had posed a threat to several people, and had carried out criminal acts against some of them, but the police had not informed those at risk of the seriousness of the threat. In September 1989 the family commenced a civil action in negligence against the police. This was dismissed by the High Court and then upheld on appeal in 1992. Further action was taken by the family in the European Commission of Human Rights beginning in November 1993 with a final report being issued in 1997.

See also

Assassination

Bomb threat

Coercion

Extortion

Assault

Witness intimidation

United States Federal Witness Protection Program

United States Marshals Service

Terrorism

Hostage

Interrogation

Kidnapping

Torture

Secret Service

Bulletproof vest

Armour

Undercover

Contract killing

Informant

Stalking

References

External links

Judiciary Criminal Charges

The Forensic Linguistics Institute

Category:Crimes Category:Death Category:Aggression

da:Dødstrussel es:Amenaza de muerte he:איום ברצח pt:Ameaça de morte

name	Francis Magalona
background	solo_singer
birth name	Francis Michael Durango Magalona
alias	FrancisM, Master Rapper, The Man From Manila, Kiko, MC The Mouth, The Filipino King of Rap
birth date	October 04, 1964
died	March 06, 2009Pasig, Philippines
origin	Manila, Philippines
instrument	Vocals, Harmonica, Megaphone, Microphone
genre	Rap, Filipino hip hop, Rock, Funk, Manila sound
occupation	Rapper, Songwriter, Producer, Actor, Director, Entrepreneur, Host, Photographer
years active	1984–2009
label	PolyEast Records (1989-1993)Sony Music (1994-2006)
associated acts	Hardware SyndromeJoey AyalaRyan CayabyabThe EraserheadsPlanet GarapataPerfecto de CastroMichael V.Parokya ni EdgarGloc-9Ely BuendiaEvil Stepsisters
website	Magalona.com
spouse	Pia Maria Arroyo
children	Unna Magalona Nicolo Magalona Francis "Frank" Magalona Jr. Clara Magalona Maxene Magalona Saab Magalona Elmo Magalona Arkin Magalona
parent	Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran }}

Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, MC The Mouth and The Man From Manila, was a Filipino rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. He was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross over to the mainstream. He was credited for having pioneered the merging of rap with Pinoy rock, becoming a significant influence to artists in that genre as well. He was also a television host on MTV Asia and Channel V Philippines and on noontime variety television show Eat Bulaga! Magalona died seven months after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Magalona was later awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Merit. The award's citation noted that it had been given “''for his musical and artistic brilliance, his deep faith in the Filipino and his sense of national pride that continue to inspire us.''”

Family and early career

Magalona was the eighth of the nine children of actors Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, popular film stars of the 1940s and 1950s. His grandfather, Enrique B. Magalona, was a politician and served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1946 to 1949 and from 1949 to 1955. He graduated from High School at the Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong City from 1978 to 1981 and studied at the San Beda College in Manila from 1981-1984.

Magalona started out as a breakdancer in the 1980s. He was cast in several Filipino movies including ''Bagets 2''. He was the resident DJ/rapper in the IBC-13 variety show ''Loveli'Ness''.

Magalona was introduced by co-actor Richard Gomez to Pia Arroyo at a party in a disco owned by film director Ishmael Bernal, and the couple got married in 1985. The couple had eight children, two of whom were Magalona's stepchildren: Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr. (Frank), Clara, and television personalities Maxene, Saab, Elmo Magalona and Arkin Magalona, who entered showbiz after their father's death.

Music career

Filipino hip hop and nationalistic rap

In 1990, he released the album ''Yo!'', the first commercially released Filipino rap album. ''Yo!'' included several popular singles such as "Mga Kababayan" (Fellow Countrymen), "Gotta Let 'Cha Know", "Cold Summer Nights" and "Man From Manila". With tracks that featured politically conscious and thought-provoking rhymes in both English and Tagalog, ''Yo!'' was a big success and helped catapult Filipino hip hop from underground to mainstream status. It also marked the birth of Makabayang (nationalistic) rap in Filipino hip hop.

In 1992, Francis Magalona released ''Rap Is FrancisM'' (1992). With tracks addressing the various cultural and social problems that plagued his country such as drug addiction in "Mga Praning" (Paranoids), political instability in "Halalan" (Elections) as well as the detrimental effects of a colonial mentality in "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy" (We Are Filipinos), the record's complexity and conscious message quickly earned it its classic status and became the standard by which future albums of the genre were to be compared. This album helped tag Magalona as one of the most politically conscious voices of his generation.

Hardware Syndrome and the merging of rap with Pinoy rock

The release of his third album, ''Meron akong ano!'' (I Got Something!) in 1993 marked the beginning of Magalona's experimentation with Pinoy rock. It also saw the birth of ''Hardware Syndrome''--previously known as Cannabis—the band which would, with Magalona at its helm, introduce the merging of Pinoy Rock and Rap to the Filipino music audience. Members over the years included musicians Carlo Sison,Francis Villanueva, Niño Mesina, Boyet Aquino, Elmer Blancaflor, Noel Mendez, Perf de Castro, Benjie "Bagets" Mendez, Albert Tamayo, DJ Kimozave, DJ Radikal MK, Kenji Marquez, Jack Rufo, and Wendell Garcia.

Magalona was soon cited for excellence in both genres of music. He frequently collaborated with other OPM luminaries such as Joey Ayala, Heber Bartolome of Banyuhay, Ryan Cayabyab, Mike Hanopol of Juan Dela Cruz Band, Andrew E., Michael V., Death Treath, and the band Eraserheads. In the latter part of his career, Magalona worked together with rappers Krazykyle, Gloc 9 and the Pinoy rock band Parokya ni Edgar. In 1994, Magalona moved from Octo-Arts EMI Philippines, which had released all of his previous albums, to BMG Records Pilipinas, the same label as the seminal Pinoy rock group, The Eraserheads.

''Freeman'' was released the following year, 1995, and firmly established Magalona's legitimacy in the Pinoy rock scene. Tracks like "Three Stars & A Sun", "Kabataan Para Sa Kinabukasan", "Suckin' on Helium/Kaleidoscope World" would become defining touch-points in Magalona's body of work. A track titled "Intellectual Property Rights" would sample a speech by then-president Fidel V. Ramos. Intellectual property rights was an issue that would continue to be an important and very personal advocacy for Magalona. "Kaleidoscope World" went on to win 1996 Awit Award for Best Produced Record of the Year, and the 1996 NU 107 Rock Award for Song of the Year. Its music video was directed by the celebrated director/cinematographer Raymond Red

Magalona's next album,''Happy Battle'', was released in 1996. The launch for the video-game themed album at the Hard Rock Cafe in Makati was noted by the press for its wide range of influences: aside from fans of Magalona's music, he had showbiz fans and coworkers from Eat Bulaga!, where he had already started hosting; and two sets of Sony PlayStations with giant screens set up so people could play video games while watching the gig. The album was also notable for a number of significant collaborations: "Unstrung Heroes" with Ely Buendia; "Sapot", with project band ''Planet Garapata'', which included Raimund Marasigan, Jeng Tan and Mark Lakay, who would later form Sandwich; and "Make Your Move" with pioneer Filipino punk band Betrayed. In keeping with the nationalistic theme in Magalona's work, 1-800-Ninety-Six was written in celebration of the centennial of the Philippine revolution of 1896. "Rainy" won ''Best Folk song'', and the album itself would became the first and only album to win ''Best Rock'' and ''Best Rap Album'' at the Katha Awards. When Magalona was diagnosed with Leukemia, he and his wife Pia would use the album name "Happy Battle" as a reference to his fight against cancer.

Later albums with Sony Music

The 1998 album ''The Oddventures of Mr. Cool'' saw a move from the last two albums' heavy guitar sound and explored mellow, urban-style rapping. It featured the song "Whole Lotta Lovin'", whose music is a sample of the ''Eraserheads'' song "Alapaap".

Later albums with BMG (now with Sony Music) would include ''Interscholastic'' (1999) which featured adaptations of various artists' songs; and ''Freeman 2'' (2001), which would echo many of the themes that had made the first ''Freeman'' album so popular. In 2002, his greatest hits album ''The Best of FrancisM'' was released by Musiko and Sony BMG Philippines. 2004 in turn saw the release of a single titled "Pambihira Ka".

Independent projects

In 2002, with the assistance of then FUBU Philippines' management employees Carlo Maniquiz and Nick Tuason, Magalona launched a compilation album of the same name.

Magalona founded his own record company called Red Egg Records, and a production company, Filipino Pictures Inc., where he served as the resident Director. Through his production company, Magalona produced and directed music videos for several bands and solo artists such as Ely Buendia. His work on Sponge Cola's "KLSP" won Best Rock Video at the 2006 MYX Video Awards.

Shortly before his death, Magalona collaborated with Ely Buendia and other Filipino artists on an album with the working title ''The Sickos Project'', which was later named as "In Love and War", and released posthumously. Both Francis M. and Ely Buendia were having health problems at that time. The album's carrier single is "Higante" (giant) which is about illness and strengths. Its music video was released on September 2009.

In an interview, Ely Buendia described his self as a "ticking timebomb" and Francis Magalona as "on borrowed time." The album will include a documentary about Ely and Francis, shot by Magalona's very own production company Filipino Pictures.

Television career

In 1997, Magalona played the lead role in the made-for-TV movie ''Kamada'' by Raymond Red. The film, a full length feature shot on 16 mm, received awards from The Philippines Broadcasting Television and Asian TV Awards duyring the same year.

And in addition to co-hosting ''LoveliNess'', Magalona was one of the original members of the youth oriented show ''That's Entertainment'' in 1987. He was also a co-host of the Philippine noon-time variety show Eat Bulaga! as well as being a VJ for MTV Asia and Channel V. He was MTV Asia's first Filipino VJ and remained with the network from 1996 to 2000.

He was also chosen by Fremantle Media, owners of American Idol as one of the judges of in the first Philippine Idol season that aired on ABC (now TV5). Magalona and his fellow judges Ryan Cayabyab and Pilita Corrales were not retained when the franchise transferred to GMA Network in 2008. Aside from television, he also hosted live events and presentations.

Other endeavors

Magalona was a photographer and submitted pictures to magazines for publication. News reports note that he was overjoyed when he was accepted as a member of the Camera Club of the Philippines, and eventually received critical acclaim for his photographs.

Magalona also established a clothing line named FMCC, standing for "FrancisM Clothing Co." FMCC also operates it's stores under the "3 Stars & A Sun" brand.

He also started a foundation with Ely Buendia called Heartist Foundation, which aims to help Filipino artists with health and commercial concerns.

Illness and death

Magalona was diagnosed on August 8, 2008, with acute myeloid leukemia at the Medical City Hospital, Pasig City. Appealing to the media and the public, Magalona said:

After his first treatment and discharge, he made his return on ''Eat Bulaga'' together with Ely Buendia, who had also been recently discharged. His daughter Maxene stated that "He always did what he wanted to do. He never let anyone or anything stop him from doing what he loved to do. He still went to the Camera Club, he still took pictures, every time he was discharged from the hospital, he recorded songs with Ely Buendia. He taught us that life is short but it can be well lived. Don’t waste your time in the world."

His wife, Pia, later described her husband's battle with the disease, saying "Francis was a very passionate person. When he was angry, he was very expressive. He would get angry with his cancer. That was his way of coping with it. But he didn’t give up. I remembered that he told me, 'I'm going down fighting.'

On March 6, 2009, at 12 noon, Magalona succumbed to multi organ failure secondary to septic shock, secondary to pneumonia in the immunocompromised (immediate cause); acute respiratory failure secondary to acute respiratory distress syndrome (antecedent cause); underlying cause: acute myleogenous leukemia blast crisis. He had undergone several chemotherapy sessions since he was diagnosed the previous year, and had been expected to undergo a bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT).

The announcement was first made over ''Eat Bulaga!''. News of his death sparked a surge of web traffic to several Philippine news sites, causing a momentary slowdown in the operation of those sites. Guests at his wake included the late former president Corazon Aquino, along with other politicians and artists who paid tribute to Magalona's contribution to Filipino music, and to national pride - the dominant advocacy theme in FrancisM's music. Fans arrived in droves to pay their last respects, some of them making a point to wear shirts from Magalona's FMCC line. Numerous television programs, ranging from noontime variety shows to primetime newscasts and late night news documentaries, paid tribute to Magalona.

He had been slated to appear as a special surprise guest at the Eraserheads' "the Final Set" reunion concert on March 7, 2009. Since he died the day before, the band instead dedicated the concert to Magalona. Buendia rapped the 22-bar portion in ''Superproxy'' which Magalona wrote, and the concert's penultimate song was the reprise of ''Kaleidoscope World''.

Magalona was cremated before daybreak on March 11, 2009. Hours later, his ashes were laid to rest at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, causing traffic to stall in the Marikina Riverbanks area near the park as fans and numerous people from the entertainment industry joined the convoy. The Philippine Army also rendered military honors to Magalona in recognition of his patriotism and service as a sergeant in the reserves. His widow, Pia, received the flag draped on his coffin.

Post-death crisis

The Magalona family was also firm against any attempts to capitalize on FrancisM's death and persona. On March 17, 2009, a group of Filipino expatriates in Dubai, UAE and Saudi Arabia, announced plans to hold tribute concerts where performers will sing his songs, with the proceeds supposedly going to a foundation set up in his honor and to the Philippine Red Cross. Pia and Maxene later came out and denounced the organizers, saying that both concerts did not have the family's blessings and the foundation did not exist. They also particularly admonished the concert organizers for using the Red Cross to attract attendees. Pia also asked the public not to patronize sellers of fake FMCC goods, which started to appear within days of Magalona's death. Their house had been broken into a couple of times, with his personal items, along with his family kids' stuff being the main targets. One of them was a laptop computer where other unpublished FMCC designs were stored.

Honors and legacy

Magalona would ultimately be cited not just the "King of Philippine rap" but also "The Father of Pinoy Hip Hop". Magalona's contributions to the genre have been featured in several international hip hop publications including the ''All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop'' (2003) published by Backbeat Books; as well as the May 2004 issue of the U.S.-based publication ''The Source''. He was also given the Pioneer Hall of Fame Award by Empire Entertainment at the 1st Annual Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards in 2005.

Magalona was the recipient of the MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards ''Generations Award'' in 2006 "in recognition of his career that has spanned decades and broken boundaries, and for his music which continues to inspire generations of artists and music fans both here and abroad." He was the second person so honored, the first having been singer Gary Valenciano at the 2005 rites.

On March 18, 2009, the Philippine Government - through the efforts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts -- recognized Magalona with by awarding him a posthumous Presidential Medal of Merit. The award's citation noted that it had been given “''for his musical and artistic brilliance, his deep faith in the Filipino and his sense of national pride that continue to inspire us.''”

Several supporters of Magalona launched a online petition to award him, the Order of National Artist, which is the highest recognition for Philippine artists. However, nominations for the National Artist award will have to be done after three years as nominations for the order are closed.

His daughter Maxene has indicated that she intends to continue Magalona's projects, including his ''The Sickos Project'' album with Buendia, and a documentary about his battle with cancer. The young actress stated: "We will coordinate with the people he had been working with, [...] I understand that Papa is a big part of history."

Discography

PolyEast Records

1989 ''Francis M.'' (Extended of Loving You)

1990 ''Yo!''

1990 ''Mga Kababayan'' (E.P. Dance Remix)

1990 ''Gotta Let 'Cha Know'' (E.P.)

1991 ''Man From Manila'' (E.P. Dance Remix)

1992 ''Rap is FrancisM''

1993 ''Meron akong ano!'' ("I have something!")

Sony Music Philippines

1995 ''Freeman''

1996 ''Happy Battle''

1998 ''The Oddventures of Mr. Cool''

1999 ''Interscholastic''

2001 ''Freeman 2''

2002 ''The Best of FrancisM''

2004 ''"Pambihira Ka"'' (single)

2010 ''In Love and War'' (aka ILAW, originally ''The Sickos Project'') (with Ely Buendia, Hilera, Hardware Syndrome and other artists)

Independent

2008 ''F Word''

Television appearances

MTV Pilipinas Music Video Award 2006

Philippine Idol (ABC "now TV5", 2006) "Judge" - His last TV appearance

Student Canteen

Balikbayan (QTV, 2009)

Eat Bulaga!

Maynila (2008)

A Telefantastic Christmas: The GMA All-Star Spcecial (2005)

True Love: Eat Bulaga Special (2005)

Fam Jam (QTV, 2005–2006)

Bubble Gang (2005)

Myx Live (2005)

Show Ko 'to (2004)

Astigmatism (2004) as Victim 1

The Manager: Eat Bulaga Special (2003)

GMA Mini Series

GMA Love Stories

MTV Talk

MTV's Life’s A Beach

GMA Telecine Specials

Spotlight Drama Specials

Chibugan Na! (RPN)

Dear Mikee

Mikee

Music Bureau (ABC)

Kamada (1997)

Maalaala Mo Kaya (1995)

Channel V: Sigaw Manila (1995)

That's Entertainment

Lovingly Yours (1986–1996)

Regal Romance (GMA Network)

The Sharon Cuneta Show (IBC & ABS-CBN)

Mother Studio Presents

Young Love, Sweet Love (RPN)

Plaza 1899

U. F. O. (Urbana, Felisa & Others)

Loveli Ness (co host)

Vilma In Person (co host)

Filmography

Boboy Salonga: Batang Tondo (2005, his last movie)

Anak ni Brocka (2005)

Kwentong kayumanggi (2002) as Narrator - Hundreds Island and the Bravery of Datu Mabiskeg

Saranggola ni Pepe at Juan (1999) as Juan San Miguel/Juan Tamad

Tong-its (1996)

Ano ba 'yan 2 (1993)

Mama's Boys (1993)

Engkanto (1992) as Uban

Estribo Gang: The Jinggoy Sese Story (1992)

Joey Boy Munti, 15 anyos ka sa Muntilupa (1991)

Iputok mo... dadapa ako!!! (1990)

Gumapang ka sa lusak (aka Dirty Affair) (1990)

Hati tayo sa magdamag (1988)

Action Is Not Missing (1987)

Kung Aagawin Mo Ang Lahat Sa Akin (1987)

Family Tree (1987) as Edwin

Ninja Kids (1986) as Tone

Doctor, Doctor, We Are Sick (1985)

Bagets 2 (1984) as Ponce

References

External links

''a Free Mind'', Francis Magalona's official website

''FrancisM's Happy Battle'', blog by Magalona and wife Pia focusing on his battle with leukemia

Francis Magalona at PinoyRap.com

Category:1964 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Cancer deaths in the Philippines Category:Deaths from leukemia Category:Filipino child actors Category:Filipino male singers Category:Filipino rappers Category:Filipino Roman Catholics Category:Filipino television actors Category:Filipino television personalities Category:Idol series judges Category:People from Manila Category:VJs (media personalities) Francis

bcl:Francis Magalona ceb:Francis Magalona es:Francis Magalona ilo:Francis Magalona it:Francis Magalona nl:Francis Magalona ja:フランシス・マガロナ tl:Francis Magalona

David Wilcock (born 8 March 1973 in Rotterdam, New York) is a lecturer, author, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California.

Along with Wynn Free, Wilcock co-authored the non-fiction book ''The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce?'' in 2004. Wilcock has appeared on several radio programs, including semi-regular appearances on ''Coast to Coast AM'', and he had a role in the Syfy documentary ''2012''. He is a proponent of the theory that a large segment of humanity will undergo ascension in the year 2012. He also appeared in several episodes of the History Channel series Ancient Aliens''.

Wilcock graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz with a BA in Psychology and a Master's equivalent in experience from his internship at a suicide hotline, completing his formal education at age 22.

Wilcock is the author of the 2011 non-fiction book ''The Source Field Investigations''.

See also

Edgar Cayce

2012 phenomenon

References

External links

Category:Living people Category:American filmmakers Category:1973 births Category:People of Upstate New York Category:Conspiracy theorists Category:UFO conspiracy theorists

es:David Wilcock sv:David Wilcock

Name	Carl Paladino
Birth name	Carl Pasquale Paladino
Birth date	August 24, 1946
Resting place coordinates
Residence	Buffalo, New York, United States
Alma mater	St. Bonaventure University (B.A.) Syracuse University College of Law (J.D.)
Employer	Ellicott Development Company
Occupation	BusinessmanCommunity ActivistVeteran
Party	Republican Party (2005–)Democratic Party (1974–2005)
Religion	Roman Catholic
Spouse	Mary Catherine Hannon (m. 1970-present)
Children	William Paladino Danielle Paladino JacobsPatrick Paladino (1979-2009)Sarah Paladino
Website	http://paladinoforthepeople.com/
Footnotes	}}

Carl Pasquale Paladino (born August 24, 1946) is an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for the New York gubernatorial election, but he was defeated by Democrat Andrew Cuomo. His candidacy was supported by the Tea Party movement. Paladino's campaign platform emphasized fiscal reform and improvement of the state's educational system.

Early life, education and career

Paladino's parents emigrated from Italy to the United States. His father participated in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Paladino attended Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School in South Buffalo. Paladino attended St. Bonaventure University and the Syracuse University College of Law. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1971. He spent three months on active duty in the United States Army and approximately ten years in the reserve, separating in 1981 at the rank of Captain. Paladino founded Ellicott Development in 1973; the company buys properties, builds stores, and leases them to national retail outlets (most notably Rite-Aid) and government agencies. The company has operations in Western New York, Central New York and portions of Pennsylvania.

In addition to his business developments, Paladino also is a senior managing partner in the law firm of Paladino, Cavan and Quinlivin, a firm that specializes in corporate and real estate law.

Political history

Paladino registered with the Democratic Party in 1974 and remained there until 2005. Later that year, after the retirement of Buffalo mayor Anthony Masiello, Paladino changed to the Republican Party, which is his current affiliation. Paladino and several limited partnerships controlled by him have donated to numerous political candidates and organizations, both Democratic and Republican. During his time as a Democrat, he generally considered himself a conservative Reagan Democrat in the mold of former Buffalo mayor James D. Griffin and former New York governor Hugh Carey; Paladino's campaign site features a 1980s picture of himself alongside former President Ronald Reagan.

Paladino helped lead a campaign to remove the toll barriers on Interstate 190 in the mid-2000s. After finding a state law that required the state to remove the tolls once the bonds for that portion of the thruway had been paid off (which took place in 1996), Paladino threatened to sue, and the Thruway Authority removed the tolls.

In 2009, Paladino involved himself on behalf of South Buffalo councilman Michael Kearns in Buffalo's Democratic primary mayoral election, campaigning against incumbent Byron Brown.

Gubernatorial campaign

On April 5, 2010, Paladino officially entered the race for Governor of New York. Tom Ognibene, the former minority leader of the New York City Council, was his chosen running mate. Michael Caputo was Paladino's manager for the campaign. John Haggerty, who is currently under investigation for funneling money between Michael Bloomberg and the Independence Party of New York, is in charge of circulating petitions. Roger Stone has acted as a supporter and advisor for the campaign and has stated that despite his earlier agreement to work as the campaign manager for another candidate, Kristin Davis, that Davis is a protest candidate and Paladino is the one Stone wants to win; Stone recommended Caputo, a former employee of his, to the Paladino campaign. Tom Golisano, an American businessman and philanthropist who ran three gubernatorial campaigns on third-party lines, is also advising the campaign.

Paladino vied with Rick Lazio, Steve Levy, and Myers Mermel for the Republican nomination. At the state Republican convention, Paladino received 8 percent of the weighted vote; only delegates from Erie and Orleans counties voted for him. He fell short of the 25 percent needed for automatic ballot access. Paladino had 3,000 volunteers circulating petitions in an effort to force a primary election. With a legal minimum requirement of 15,000 signatures to force a primary, he aimed for 40,000 signatures and submitted 28,000, enough of which were valid.

In the primary election on September 14, 2010. Paladino, with heavy support in his native Western New York, defeated Lazio. In the primary for Lieutenant Governor, however, Ognibene, who had been selected by Paladino, lost to Lazio's choice, Greg Edwards. The Paladino-Edwards ticket competed in November against Democrat Andrew Cuomo and his running mate, Robert Duffy, as well as several minor-party candidates.

Paladino originally planned on seeking the nomination of the Conservative Party of New York but dropped out of that nomination battle because party chairman Michael Long allowed him only two minutes of speech time to make his case. As a result, he skipped the party convention and was unable to garner enough support to get the Conservative Party's nomination, with that going to Rick Lazio, Republican known for his support of abortion rights, and gun control. In Paladino's place on the primary ballot was Ralph Lorigo, the chairman of the Erie County Conservative Party and a supporter of Paladino's campaign. Lorigo, being a party member, only needed 25% of the weighted vote at the party's convention on May 28, 2010 to get on the primary ballot instead of the majority required by non-party members. Lorigo joined forces with Steve Levy's supporters to get 42% of the weighted vote. Lorigo and Lazio faced off in the September primary. If Lorigo had won the primary, he could have moved out of state or accepted a nomination for State Supreme Court, clearing the line and allowing the Conservative Party to pick someone else through a committee. Family members of Paladino's campaign ran Lorigo's campaign, including Paladino's brother, Joseph Paladino, and Caputo's father, Raymond Caputo. Lazio defeated Lorigo in the Conservative primary by a 60-40 margin, only to drop out two weeks later. Long later indicated he would endorse Paladino and encourage his allies to nominate him as Lazio's replacement.

Paladino held a two-week boat tour at the end of May 2010 along the Erie Canal to acquaint himself with the rest of upstate New York. He began a television and radio advertising campaign in July of that year, including local TV stations as well as national ads on the Fox News Channel. He has frequently called for debates, first with Lazio (who declined) and now with Cuomo; Paladino has stated that he encourages minor-party candidates to be included in debates, echoing a call from Howie Hawkins and Warren Redlich, two of the minor-party candidates in the race, to be included in debates. All seven candidates were scheduled to debate on October 18. Paladino had indicated a willingness to spend more than $10,000,000 of his own personal wealth on his campaign, with much of that spending being recycled to Ellicott Development.

Founding of the Taxpayers Party

Paladino also plans on founding a "Taxpayers Party" line, which will also field David Malpass and Gary Berntsen for Senate candidates (both dropped out of their races, leading the party to nominate Joseph J. DioGuardi as Malpass's replacement), Rus Thompson for comptroller, and will not field an attorney general candidate. The goal of the line is to give potential Republican candidates who were not selected by the Conservative Party an additional ballot line; as such, the organization is not backing an attorney general candidate and is only running a token comptroller (Thompson's own Web site does not even mention his candidacy), because Republican nominees Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. and Harry Wilson already have Conservative Party endorsements and the party does not seek to divide the Republican and conservative vote. Paladino's campaign submitted 30,000 signatures for the Taxpayers line on August 10, 2010. The line has drawn interest from other potential candidates for state office, and several state legislature candidates have filed petitions under the "Taxpayers" banner.

Results

Preliminary results showed Paladino earning 1,406,382 votes, or 34% of the total tally. He finished second to Andrew Cuomo, who had 61% of the vote. Paladino won all eight counties in the Buffalo media market but only a few counties outside of that region, all of which were rural counties in upstate New York. Paladino helped propel the Conservative Party into third place on the ballot for the first time since losing the line in 1998, retaking the ballot line from the Independence Party of New York by drawing more votes on the Conservative line than Andrew Cuomo did on the Independence line. The Taxpayers line failed to achieve 50,000 votes, in part due to poor ballot location (the line was last on the ballot and on most ballots was placed in a second column). Paladino's strong showing also propelled Erie County into first place in the New York Republican Party's vote weighting; its votes will count 11.53% in state party votes, up from the previous 6.98%. After the election, Paladino indicated that it would be the last one in which he would be a candidate. Paladino, who lives in the 27th congressional district, was considering a run in the New York's 26th congressional district special election, 2011, but later ruled out a run for that seat, endorsing eventual Republican nominee Jane Corwin, who lost to Kathleen Hochul.

Political positions

Paladino's campaign platform emphasized fiscal reform in Albany and improvement of the state's educational system. and cut the state budget by 10 to 20 percent. He proposed closing off welfare services to those who come from out of state to receive benefits, by placing a minimum residency requirement of one year before anyone could claim state benefits. He sought to cut the state's Medicaid budget by nearly 30%, or $20 billion ($10 billion from the state's share, the other $10 billion coming from the county and federal shares) by making significant cuts to benefits, reducing reimbursement rates, requiring identification, fingerprints and drug testing in order to receive benefits, and training family members to take care of people who would otherwise be in long-term care. He planned to eliminate state capital gains taxes and corporate franchise taxes, at a cost of approximately $1 billion.

In the past, Paladino has called for a constitutional convention to make changes in the state constitution, which, he argued, creates a welfare state and contributes to many of the state's problems. He has proposed increasing the frequency of constitutional convention referendums, currently set for every 20 years with the next one scheduled for 2017, down to 10 years, with the next one moved up to 2011. He has also expressed distaste for public service labor unions, which he has compared to pigs, and is an outspoken critic of state laws such as the Wicks Law, which sets prevailing wage requirements, and the Taylor Law, which gives unions significant negotiating advantages in exchange for prohibiting them from striking. He promised to take a hard line in negotiations with unions, whose contracts expire in April 2011, and would have refused to grant them favorable conditions. Non-union employees would have seen immediate pay cuts of 10 percent. He supported current governor David Paterson's efforts to furlough state employees. In the event of a late budget, he would have shut down most levels of government except those related to public health and safety. Paladino would have first targeted what he considered to be patronage jobs for elimination; i.e., those who, according to him, received their jobs as political favors and through family connections. Deputy commissioners would be another target for elimination. He would also have relied on the state's rank and file to target persons "incapable for whatever reason of performing their functions at a cost productive level," and hoped to eliminate 60,000 jobs from the state workforce through these reductions. He would have sought to eliminate numerous perks such as state-owned take-home vehicles. He sought to institute a merit-based pay system and end automatic raises. Paladino favored what he called "school choice," saying it would "put some competition in the marketplace" against the New York State United Teachers. Paladino also supported converting some minimum security prisons into Civilian Conservation Corps-style job camps for unemployed youth, which he dubbed the "Dignity Corps," a program he based on both the CCC and the work of a local mission in Buffalo.

He supported proposals to enforce excise tax laws on Indian tribes such as the Iroquois who have so far refused to pay said taxes and promised severe punishment if the tribes protested, stating: "The fact that the past three governors have neglected to go up and enforce the law because they're afraid of somebody standing on top of a police car or they're afraid of somebody burning some tires in the street, that's not me. Let one of them stand on top of a police car in my administration, it would be the last time they stood on top of a police car." He believes the tribes are run by a cabal of "fifteen to twenty thugs" who are using their price advantage to benefit themselves and not the general populace of their reservations. He supports the review and potential revocation of land claims given to the Iroquois; in particular, he believes the Turning Stone Resort & Casino is operating illegally and should be shut down. Ellicott Development had sold the land where the current Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino stands for between US$1,300,000 and US$3,750,000, and Paladino claims he only received $47,000 from the Seneca nation for the land and that the plans for the casino were far different than the ones that were proposed at the time, incorporating hotels and restaurants that Paladino opposes.

Paladino supports hard term limits of eight years on all elected officials within the state's jurisdiction, including county and local governments. He also desires to see their positions declared "part time" and as such ineligible for a state pension or lifetime medical coverage; in addition, he opposes automatic cost of living adjustment increases and seeks to force legislators to take an up or down vote on their own pay raises. He would seek a complete reorganization of the state education department and encourages dissolution of the Board of Regents, the SUNY Board of Trustees, the Lower Manhattan Development Agency, the Empire State Development Corporation, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Off-Track Betting Corporation, the Adirondack Park Agency, and the New York Power Authority. Similarly, the state Department of Transportation would, under Paladino's proposal, absorb the currently independent Thruway Authority and the Bridge and Tunnel Authorities. Paladino has proposed the use of repeatedly calling special sessions to pressure uncooperative legislators into passing his legislation, much as current governor Paterson did during the 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis and the 2010 budget negotiations. He supports moving the due date of the state budget, currently set for April 1, back to July 1 so that tax revenue can be better evaluated. He also proposes supermajority approval of any tax increase. At the local government level, he would consolidate the operations of most school districts at the county level, with a single appointed superintendent, and also consolidate other local town and village operations at that level. He is currently considering a solution for districts that span multiple counties. He does not support a reduction in operational aid for school districts and believes the budget can be balanced without reducing that aid. In response to criticisms regarding Paladino's existing leases to the state, he has stated that he is willing to renegotiate the prices he charges for the leases once they expire, and he would put most of his assets in trust, turning over operations of the company to his son. (Ellicott Development's leases currently charge a "below average" rate as it is, according to the state.) He is willing to support a hard property tax cap, such as the one Cuomo proposes, if it is part of a broader effort to cut spending. Some of these proposals would require amendments to the state constitution.

Paladino, who has a handgun permit and "carries wherever it is legal," is strongly in favor of firearm ownership and Second Amendment rights; he seeks to repeal the NYS Assault Weapon Ban.

He personally opposes same-sex marriage. He has spoken negatively of the concept of gay pride, particularly the sexual demonstrations at gay pride parades, which he believes are unsuitable for children. In a speech to a group of Hasidic Jews organized by Yehuda Levin on 10 October 2010, Paladino said, “I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option — it isn’t.” He later stated that he did not agree with the statement and had not fully proofread the speech before he read it. He has said he would take a more libertarian stance on the matter in regard to state policy; he follows a "live and let live" approach to the topic of homosexuality, actively opposes discrimination against homosexuals, and encourages a statewide referendum on allowing same-sex marriage in the state, saying that he would honor the result of said referendum. If the state legislature were to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage or civil unions without a referendum, he would veto it.

He is pro-life and favors adoption over abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Abortion would not be a legislative priority if he were to be elected, but he would continue to personally advocate against abortion.

He is firmly in favor of drilling in the Marcellus Formation.

He opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and says that he believes that the long-term impact of the act would be just as memorable and possibly more deadly than the September 11 attacks. If elected, he would file a lawsuit to have the law overturned.

Paladino does not object to raising the minimum wage. He does object to excessive regulations on businesses.

Paladino has pledged himself to one term in office and, like fellow businessmen-turned-politicians Chris Collins and Michael Bloomberg, would forgo collecting his salary if elected. He would then endorse his lieutenant governor for the 2014 gubernatorial election.

With regard to a planned Islamic community center two blocks from the site of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City, in late July, 2010, Paladino issued a radio ad which stated, "As Governor, I will use the power of eminent domain to stop this mosque and make the site a war memorial instead of a monument to those who attacked our country." He added that the mosque should not be built within a range of "the dust cloud containing human remains [of the 9/11 victims] traveled".

Campaign controversies

In April 2010, a local progressive Web site released a series of racist and sexually explicit e-mails that purported to be from Paladino. Paladino acknowledged some of them were indeed circulated by him among a circle of friends, mostly in the construction industry. Campaign manager Michael Caputo initially stated that the authenticity of some of the e-mails could not be verified and continues to maintain that the e-mails were "of questionable origin;" the site themselves could not identify the anonymous source of the e-mails and was only able to verify them through a series of cc: addresses included with the package of e-mails. Paladino acknowledged that some of the e-mails were authentic, but denied that he originated any of them, saying that he was nevertheless "somewhat careless" about forwarding them to others Paladino admitted many of these emails were "off-color" and could be considered offensive, took responsibility for them, and apologized.

In a statement to ''The Politico'' on September 29, 2010, Paladino asked why the media was concerned with any of his extramarital affairs, and not asking similar questions of Andrew Cuomo. ''New York Post'' columnist Fredric U. Dicker confronted Paladino at a meeting of the New York State Business Council later that evening and insisted that Paladino produce evidence about any accusations against Cuomo, but Paladino alleged the ''Post'' had followed and photographed Paladino's daughter several days prior to the appearance, and demanded that Dicker not do it again or he would "take him out." Paladino later said he did not know of any actual affairs, and that the implication was not intended. The ''New York Post''s editor in chief, Col Allen, in a statement released on ''Politico'', said the ''Post'' did not send a photographer to the house of Paladino's daughter. Two days later, Allen admitted to sending photographer Christopher Sadowski and reporter Amber Sutherland to the 10-year old's house on two occasions but said the New York Post would not print the photographs their staff snapped of the child from outside the house. After the first visit, Sutherland wrote a story featuring photographs of the young girl's mother in the New York Post. Michael Caputo claimed he spoke to Sutherland who confirmed Dicker was her "team leader" for coverage of the child. Paladino told New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser to clear Sutherland and Sadowski away from the child's windows before resuming an interview with her in Queens, and Peyser called Fred Dicker in front of Paladino to get that done.

On October 10, Paladino was criticized for "anti-gay remarks" to Orthodox Rabbis in Brooklyn. The speech was discovered to have been prepared by Rabbi Yehuda Levin. Paladino apologized for his comments, saying that "The portrayal of me as anti-gay is inconsistent with my lifelong beliefs and actions and my prior history as an father, employer and friend to many in the gay and lesbian community," He later said he meant what he had said, but regretted not wording it differently. In response to this apology, Rabbi Levin rescinded his endorsement of Paladino.

In response to the controversies, Paladino took responsibility for them, saying "This the first time I have ever run for public office and yes, I let things get out of hand. It’s my responsibility. Nobody else’s. I have also learned what monsters the press can be."

Personal life

Paladino resides in the South Buffalo portion of the city of Buffalo, and is married to Mary Catherine Hannon. They had three children: William Paladino, Danielle Jacobs, and Patrick Paladino ( who died March 30, 2009, from injuries received in an automobile accident). Paladino also has a ten-year-old daughter from an extramarital relationship with his former employee, Suzanne Brady. He has five grandchildren. He owns a pit bull named Duke, which he has taken with him on his campaign stops.

Paladino was honored in 1991 by the City of Buffalo as Buffalonian of the Year and in 1993 as Alumnus of the Year by St. Bonaventure University.

During his concession speech, Paladino gave a heartfelt address to his late son, Patrick. Nancy Naples, chairwoman of the Paladino campaign told the New York Times that Paladino gained a feeling of emotional closure through his gubernatorial campaign. After his vote on election day, he gathered with relatives for a prayer service dedicated to his son. Paladino had stated that running for governor was something his son wanted him to do.

Notes

References

McCarthy, Robert and Tom Precious (2010-04-04). Is New York ready for Carl Paladino?. ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved 2010-04-04.

Conservative Developer Joins Race for Governor ''The New York Times''.

External links

Paladino for the People''official campaign site''

Ellicott Development ''official business site''

Category:1946 births Category:People from Buffalo, New York Category:New York Republicans Category:American businesspeople Category:Living people Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Syracuse University College of Law alumni Category:St. Bonaventure University alumni Category:Tea Party movement Category:American people of Italian descent Category:United States Army officers