NYC Councilmen and Senate hopefuls Joseph Addabbo and Jim Gennaro, who are running against Sens. Serphin Maltese and Frank Padavan, respectively, have just sent out a press release railing on their rivals for “leaving Albany with unfinished business behind.”
They list a number of issues, including, of course the capping property taxes.
They join their fellow Democrats David Nachbar and Rick Dollinger, as well as Republicans Liz Feld and David Renzi, who are all challenging incumbents, all who are using the property tax cap issue as they rallying cry.
Full release after the jump.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
Gennaro, Addabbo Blast Queens’ Senate Republicans for
Leaving Albany with Unfinished Business Behind
Councilmembers James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) and Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who are preparing to challenge incumbent Senators Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) and help Democrats win control of the State’s upper legislative body, called out the two incumbents and the Republican Senate Majority for ending the 2008 legislative session with a large number of critical measures left to rot in the capital.
The two Councilmembers asked why Senators Padavan and Maltese left Albany this year without taking action on simple and obvious measures that would help New York City residents by:
- Cleaning up toxic leased school sites (A08838)
- Keeping skyrocketing water rates in check (A11382A / S8333)
- Capping property taxes
- Ensuring paid leave for working people caring for newborns or sick family members (A9245 / NO SENATE VERSION)
- Ensuring medically accurate and age-appropriate sex education in schools (Healthy Teens Act: A2856 / S1342)
- Protecting police officers and civilians through bullet microstamping (A09819A / S8541)
- Protecting police officers and civilians by restricting guns painted in colors to look like toys (A02868 / S3868)
- Requiring companies receiving Industrial Development Agencies (IDA) tax breaks to pay prevailing wages to its employees (A00667 / NO SENATE VERSION)
“This year’s session of the State Senate – culminating with the abandoning of a property tax cut, a bill to protect kids from toxic schools, a paid family leave act and measures to keep skyrocketing water rates in check – proves just how out of touch the Senate Republican Majority and its members are with the real needs of the people living here in Queens and New York City,” Councilman Gennaro said. “The people of the 11th and 15th Senate Districts should hold Frank Padavan and Serphin Maltese responsible for the failure of these measures by voting for change when they’re up for re-election this year.”
“The Senate Republican Majority, including Senators Maltese and Padavan in Queens, left Albany with much unfinished business, including important Democratic measures to lower our cost of living, protect our children, help working families take care of loved ones and protect people from illegal guns,” Councilman Addabbo said. “Instead of spending the summer campaigning to desperately hold on to their seats they should be going back to Albany to do what they were elected to do in the first place.”
Councilman Gennaro, Chair of the Environmental Protection Committee, is a former college professor and one of the City Council’s most prolific authors of legislation, much of it dedicated to green issues like promoting alternative energy, reducing greenhouse gases and keeping New York City’s water clean and safe.
Councilman Addabbo, currently Chair of the Civil Service & Labor Committee, also served as Chair of the Parks & Recreation Committee and worked to protect and maintain parks and open space throughout New York City, and was the key sponsor of the Adopt-a-Park law.
