Ridgewood Reservoir Due for Makeover Joe Anuta - YourNabe.com

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One of many holes in the dilapidated chain link fence that surrounds Ridgewood Reservoir allows access to the patch of wilderness. Photo by Joe Anuta

Construction could begin soon on new fencing surrounding the Ridgewood Reservoir despite objections from members of the community and borough lawmakers.

The contract has been awarded to a Maspeth construction company for $6.4 million, according to the city comptroller’s database, and the work is set to be complete by the end of the year.

But several members of Community Board 5 criticized the city’s plan for the renovation, citing unnecessary spending and inadequate protection of wildlife.

“I’m trying to fight them, but the contract is already awarded and registered in the comptroller’s office,” said Steve Fiedler, chairman of CB 5’s Parks Committee. “Nobody wants to listen.”

One of Fiedler’s objections shared by the rest of the board is that the proposed fence, at 4 feet tall, is too short and would invite trespassers into the natural enclave.

“Right now there is an 8-foot fence and they can’t keep [people] out of there,” Fiedler said.

There are innumerable holes cut into the current chain link fence that surrounds the three basins of the reservoirs. Some have been patched, but many still allow unencumbered access to the basins.

Fiedler said people also dump garbage and have been known to play paint ball in the wooded areas of the reservoir.

A representative from the city Parks Department said the new fencing will allow visitors to see the basins.

“New steel bar fencing around the perimeter and fencing of historical reference near seating areas between basins will allow visitors visual access to the natural environments in the basins,” said the representative, who asked not to be identified.


Currently, the 8-foot tall fence allows park-goers to see the park only through the wires and is overgrown with vines in many places.

The city will also combat invasive species like phragmites, a reed that takes over in watery soil, which have plagued the park over the years.

Fiedler and the board also took issue with the type of fencing.

The park currently has more than 4,000 feet of historic, wrought-iron fencing in and around the basins, Fiedler said. In fact, the fencing was so elaborately crafted that the city made a model of it to use in Central Park in Manhattan.

“You cannot get fencing like that anymore,” Fiedler said, lamenting the fact that the vintage metal will likely be thrown away or melted down.
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State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) also had objections to the department’s plan to install new lighting.

The city plans on installing lights along the path at 15-foot intervals. There are currently dilapidated lampposts located on the outside of the path, but the city’s plan would move them to the inside and install a shade that would shield the animal and plant life from the lights at night.

“We could save money by building on the existing side,” Addabbo said. “I’m not an engineer, but ... I’d like to respectively disagree with the Parks Department.”

The contract is currently under review by city Comptroller John Liu.

In 2008, former city Comptroller William Thompson rejected a plan to turn the reservoir into sports fields.

Recycling Day Sponsored by Senator Joe Addabbo in Forest Park on May 1st...

Click on image to enlarge

Senator Joe Addabbo is sponsoring a Free Recycling day event on Sunday, May 1st from 10 AM to 3 PM at the George Seuffert Sr. Bandshell parking lot in Forest Park.

The location of the event is Forest Park Drive one block west of Woodhaven Blvd in Woodhaven.

See above flier for more details.

Ridgewood Democratic Club Annual Members Brunch - January 22, 2011...

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Rep Joe Crowley was the guest speaker at the Ridgewood Democratic Club Annual Members Brunch held at the Club on January 22, 2011...There were approximately 50 members of the Club present, including elected officials Rep Joe Crowley, State Senator Joe Addabbo, State Assembly Members Michael Miller and Cathy Nolan, City Council Members Diana Reyna, Jimmy Van Bramer and Elizabeth Crowley...

NYC's Computer-System Cash-Dump Disaster By Graham Rayman - Village Voice

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Photo-Illustration by Andrea Levy

In January 2009, a tantalizing and disturbing comment materialized on an Internet bulletin board about an expensive and controversial Bloomberg administration project to automate the city's payroll system, known as CityTime.


The anonymous author alleged that the project was hopelessly corrupt and out of control and had been for years. The writer, who claimed to have been employed on the project, went on to name three people he alleged were responsible for that corruption.


The commenter accused a consultant, Mark Mazer, of being "the most crooked person on the team," and said consultant Scott Berger was building a home in Florida at city expense.


"Mark Mazer and Scott had ONLY one main intent . . . to pocket the $/hr for themselves for as long as possible @ taxpayer expense," the commenter wrote. Referring to the former consultant later appointed to oversee the project, the commenter added, "The project in its 5th year was a failure and should have been canned, but Joel Bondy for some reason or another decided it must go on for another 5 yrs."


The comment went on to lay out in more or less clear terms exactly what was taking place in the CityTime project.


That posting appears to have disappeared into the depths of the Internet, but it turned out to be prescient.


Berger, who worked for a CityTime consultant called Spherion, Mazer, and four other people were indicted last month for defrauding the city of $80 million—a theft that made the Mafia's $6 million Lufthansa heist in 1978 look like a bodega stickup job.


Supposedly acting as "quality assurance" consultants, Mazer, Berger, and their accomplices are instead accused of falsifying payments to shell companies, pocketing the proceeds, and making up phony time cards for work they never performed. The defendants have pleaded not guilty.


Bondy, meanwhile, was suspended without pay following the indictments and forced to resign as the head of Bloomberg's Office of Payroll Administration. He could face indictment as well. Bondy, it emerged, not only was a former CityTime consultant, but had also worked with Mazer in the past, yet he didn't disclose those ties until years later.


Originally slated in 1998 to cost $63 million over five years, CityTime has cost the city more than $760 million over its 12 beleaguered years of existence. Despite all that expense, the system is operating in only about a third of all city agencies.


The cost overruns were caused by the vast complexity of the project and changes to the plans, claim Bloomberg officials and the company responsible for building the system, Virginia-based Science Applications International Corp.


Nonsense, says a union official who represents city architects and engineers, and has closely tracked the project.


"There's no way that any problems or changes they had could justify a cost increase of more than 10 times," says Local 375 vice president Jon Forster, who believes SAIC should face criminal investigation. "In 12 years, we haven't changed the number of agencies or the number of employees. My sense is that someone saw a gravy train here, and they said, 'Let's go for it.' "


Last week, federal prosecutors issued subpoenas to SAIC for documents related to the project—presumably to determine just what happened to all that money. There are, records show, a couple hundred other consultants on the project, and you have to wonder what they were doing.


But even after a year of revelations about CityTime, a lot of questions remain unanswered: How much money was wasted or stolen? How did this happen, in spite of red flags dating back to at least early 2003? And how did the city miss it for so long?


Mayor Bloomberg's comments on the scandal have been less than satisfying. Over the years, for one, his administration lowballed the true total cost of the project. And so far he has yet to offer a coherent explanation of how CityTime went bad. It didn't happen by accident, as the mayor appeared to suggest in some of his comments, especially when he called it a "disaster."


The definition of "disaster" generally includes a component of misfortune—as if the project was beset with bad luck. But in this case, there was intent. The indictment makes that clear enough.


In saying he wished he spent more time with the project, Bloomberg appeared out of touch, which is fairly disturbing for a man who cloaks himself as a great manager and technology expert.


He also suggested that the city's trust had been "misplaced." It was almost as if he was characterizing city government as a lover shocked to find out his spouse had cheated on him. The credo "Trust, but verify" comes to mind.


In December, once again seeking to minimize the scandal, he said, "Nothing goes without some problems, whether it's in your family, your company, your government, [or] the world."


Moreover, throughout his administration, Bloomberg repeatedly cut agencies, shrunk city staff, and recited this mantra: "We have to do more with less." But on the CityTime project, he or his aides appeared to have decided it was OK to do less with more.


And for that matter, what does it say about the city comptroller's office, which also had an oversight role on the payroll agency?


In fairness, the current comptroller, John Liu, has aggressively raised questions about CityTime. He was the one who persuaded Mayor Bloomberg to stop the open-ended payments to SAIC, and forced them to agree to a real deadline.


That decision magically accelerated the pace of the project. By last September, just 73,000 employees were on the system. By December, the number had shot up to 100,000 employees, proving that there's nothing like a little work incentive to get things done.


But Liu's success only makes one wonder why questions weren't raised much sooner by his predecessor, William Thompson.


Records indicate that along with the mayor's office, the comptroller's office approved all of the contract increases, but didn't audit CityTime until this year. 


That audit found, among other things, that the project was plagued by "poor management decisions." It was so bad, in fact, that there was no way to figure out just how many dollars were wasted, the audit said.


Forster, the Local 375 official, tells the Voice that his people approached Thompson's office in 2007 to request an inquiry on CityTime, but were politely rebuffed.


"It just seemed like they had too much on their plate at the time to take on something so massive," Forster says. "And then there was the election and that was sort of it."


Moreover, an SAIC competitor told the New York Post that he had been raising red flags for years, saying he spoke to both Comptroller Thompson's office and the mayor's office about his concerns.


Comptroller spokeswoman Sharon Lee said she couldn't comment on the Thompson era.


And what does the scandal say about the Department of Investigation?


DOI commissioner Rose Gill Hearn has been aggressive in pursuing CityTime this past year. According to the federal indictment, the investigation began in June 2010, when a former consultant told DOI he was being paid by a company that hadn't been approved to work on the project. The federal case appears to rely heavily on the DOI investigation.


But you have to wonder what, if anything, was done before then. It's hard to believe that not one person approached DOI between 1998 and 2010 to complain about the internal workings of the project.


In fact, in 2007, the Voice has learned, DOI did investigate CityTime, including interviewing several CityTime consultants and a few payroll affairs people.


In addition, the probe examined a Department of Defense Inspector General investigation into a number of former SAIC employees who had formally complained that after they blew the whistle on improper billing practices, SAIC retaliated against them by firing them, records show.


What DOI did with the information that was gathered remains unclear.


DOI spokeswoman Diane Struzzi declined to comment on any specifics because of the current, ongoing investigation into CityTime. "There have been a series of allegations going back several years—some have borne fruit and some have not," she said. "There is not a single complaint that came into this department that laid out the kickbacks, the money laundering, or the shell companies. DOI uncovered those crimes."


And, of course, there's the January 2009 anonymous Internet posting, which should have piqued someone's curiosity. It wasn't all that hard to stumble across it.


And then there's the City Council—the supposed check on the mayor's spending habits. While some Council members—like Letitia James and Joseph Addabbo—have sought answers, where was the council in the years when the project grew out of control? Isn't the council supposed to approve big contract increases?


While the council voted to approve the initial contract, James says that it did not get a chance to approve or disapprove the subsequent and sharp cost increases. In essence, she claims, the Bloomberg administration was able to do an end run around on the council's oversight role. Can it really be true that the council had no idea what was happening in the project?


Jamie McShane, a spokesman for Council Speaker Christine Quinn, did not respond to Voice questions.


In many respects, the local media was also behind the curve. Part of the reason was that the Bloomberg administration kept the true cost of the project under wraps. As a result, there was confusion in the press about just what the project cost. A New York Times article in January 2007, for example, set the project cost at $180 million, when, by then, the true expense was already much higher.


It wasn't until Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez began in late 2009 what would become a series of probing columns that the story began to emerge from the shadows.


Of course, CityTime isn't the first high-tech city project to go horribly awry—just the most expensive and allegedly the most corrupt.


City Comptroller Liu said in May that there were a series of high-tech city projects with cost overruns, missed deadlines, and incomplete or ineffective systems. A city personnel tracking system, for example, mushroomed from $66 million to $155 million.


Just last week, Liu said that a project to create two new 911 emergency systems for the police and fire departments had swelled from $380 million in 2005 to $666 million with no major alterations of the project plans. The project is one year overdue, and has been troubled by poor management and oversight by the contractor, his office said.


He rejected a new $286 million contract request from the Bloomberg administration and demanded a review. The central issue, he charged, was that, similar to CityTime, the project allows a kind of open-ended spending.


"This type of vague budgeting formula allows outside consultants to bill on an hourly basis and collect exorbitant fees, as in the case of the CityTime project," Liu said. "The program was troubled by findings of poor management and less than satisfactory oversight by the original vendor."


The history of CityTime goes back to 1996 and the Giuliani administration. The goal was to computerize the city's payroll system, which covers close to 160,000 workers. After another bidder dropped out, the contract was awarded to MCI Systemhouse. After two years, Systemhouse came up with a thick, heavily detailed, and comprehensive technical plan, or "scope of work," for the project, and estimated that it would cost $63 million and take five years.


In other words, it wasn't like someone just came up with the $63 million budget on a cocktail napkin. A great deal of thought and work went into it.


The proposal contained detailed deadlines that made clear the contractor felt it was possible to complete the job in five years, plus lists of thousands of pieces of high-tech equipment that needed to be purchased and dozens of deadlines listed in 30-day increments.


Even at $63 million, the contract provided fairly lavish pay rates for the contractors: more than $300 an hour for top managers, more than $200 per hour for mid-level people. Even the word processors would get $80 an hour. (A percentage is, of course, kicked to the company.)


Even taking the cost of inflation into account, if the project took 10 years, the finished product still should have cost only about $84.5 million.


Moreover, the contract contained a key provision that levied money damages for missed deadlines—a standard incentive that was irresponsibly eliminated a few years later.


But Systemhouse was bought by WorldCom and dropped the project, transferring its CityTime unit to a new firm, Paradigm 4.


In 2000, the city decided to add new elements to the plan, chiefly switching to a system with one central Internet server, rather than a separate server in each agency. The second of a dozen contract amendments increased the budget to $73 million.


The following year, the city hired Mazer's firm, Spherion, to do something called "quality assurance"—essentially to keep an eye on the project. That contract started at a cost of $3.4 million. Since then, it has been changed a dozen times and has ballooned to $51 million. As the Mazer indictment suggests, not only were they not watching the contractor, no one was watching the watchers.


For some reason, the contract was changed after five months to drop a requirement that Spherion examine and approve each piece of the project. As a result, the last record of such a review dates back to 2001, the comptroller's audit says.


Spherion was also supposed to supply regular summaries of the project's progress. The comptroller could not find any such summaries after 2001.


About a year later, the role of project manager was added to Spherion's contract. That meant that the auditor was now also involved in managing the project, according to the 2010 comptroller's audit—a clear conflict of interest.


By the time Mayor Bloomberg was elected, Paradigm 4 was out of the picture and SAIC had taken over the project. When the contractors changed, critics have said, the council should have had a chance to review it. There was no such review. SAIC was selected without competitive bidding.


And in a critical, and ultimately unfortunate, move, the contract was changed from one that levied penalties for failure to hit milestones to a more open-ended method of monthly payments based on hours worked. Ironically, the move was supposed to "streamline" the process. It caused the opposite effect, giving the contractor no incentive to make deadlines.


SAIC has won many millions in government contracts over the years, but it has also racked up its share of fines. In 1995, the company paid a $2.5 million fine for defrauding the government over a computer system for jet fighters. In 1998, the company paid a $1.1 million fine to the Defense Department.


A group of former employees accused the firm of retaliating against them for complaining about questionable billing practices on another job.


In January 2002, perhaps true to form, SAIC officials had the brilliant idea of trying to hire the city official overseeing them, Richard Valcich. In a letter uncovered from the city comptroller's office, Valcich expressed his dismay at the overture, published reports said.


Valcich said he was sorry "if I seemed rude and abruptly shortened your discussion on a future post city-employment position with SAIC." He added: "It is inappropriate to discuss any post employment with a company that I do business with."


By November 2002, another amendment made more changes to the project, and the approved cost rose again from $115 million.


Meanwhile, things between Valcich and SAIC weren't going so well. In what should have been an enormous red flag to the comptroller and the mayor, Valcich slammed SAIC's job performance in a February 19, 2003, letter released by the comptroller's office.


Valcich accused the company of cutting the city out of the project, creating needless delays, and wasting time and money. He said key personnel weren't showing up at meetings and records weren't being updated. He said the company repeatedly stopped work to "review" progress. He even questioned SAIC's credibility.


"SAIC's commitment to quality is almost nonexistent and is reflected from the top down," Valcich wrote. "This lack of commitment to quality permeates matters both great and small."


He added, "It appears to the city that SAIC seems to think [it] could take as long as possible to finish an activity. . . . The city of New York has spent approximately $35 million on CityTime and does not have a tangible system to show for it."


Despite the almost angry tone of the letter—written by the city's point man on the sprawling project, the man who had been shepherding the project since 1995—it did not appear to have any impact. No one from either the mayor's or comptroller's offices appeared to have jumped in to light a fire under SAIC.


The system kept becoming more complex, and at some point SAIC began to resist going forward. SAIC hired a consultant, Ariel Partners, who warned that the technology the city had paid for couldn't handle all the things the city wanted it to.


SAIC finally said it would go forward, but only if it was paid on an hourly basis, rather than a flat rate per piece of the element. The city agreed, which meant SAIC now had a kind of green light to spend whatever it wanted to make the system happen.


By 2004, Valcich had retired from the payroll post, to be replaced by Joel Bondy, a former consultant with Spherion, the company supposedly vetting the project for the city. Bondy had also worked with Mazer, the recently indicted Spherion consultant, at the city's foster-care agency.


The effort to redesign the system took two more years. An SAIC spokeswoman was now saying the two sides were "working well together, and approved our personnel, approach, and overall architecture."


In 2005, with the redesign complete, the city had a chance to walk away from the project. The city instead turned to Spherion for advice, and, of course, the conflicted firm said, "Let's keep going," the comptroller's audit said.


With a rough squiggle, Bondy signed off on a contract extension that gave SAIC another three to six years to finish the project. The amendment justified the extension only by saying it was needed because of unspecified "delays."


By February 2006, the official contract cost was now at least $225 million, triple the original project cost. This time the increase was blamed on "a major increase in the cost of deployment."


Meanwhile, the alleged fraud involving the Spherion consultants had already begun, the indictment said.


Mazer awarded big-money contracts to friends, who then kicked back $25 million to him. They billed the city for phantom work and squirreled the money away in shell companies. He and his accomplices allegedly pursued this fraud for the next five years, eventually stealing some $80 million.


Meanwhile, the public focus was on the effect of the payroll system on city employees. From 2006 through 2009, unions mounted a campaign to limit the system, especially palm scanners, which were seen as potential health hazards. They also charged that the system violated civil rights, and imposed unfair demands on employees. They held demonstrations, testified at City Council hearings, and spoke to the media. Forster's union filed an unfair labor complaint.


Also in 2007, a former SAIC employee on a federal contract alleged that he and several colleagues were fired for going to the feds to complain about improper billing practices by the company.


A city Vendex form indicated that in June 2007, the Department of Defense Inspector General began investigating SAIC based on those allegations.


Did that disclosure, now more than three years old, trigger any concern about SAIC in city government? It is unclear.


In May 2008, Bondy testified before the City Council. In his written remarks, tellingly, he expended not a word on the cost of the project. Not one word.


But behind the scenes, he repeatedly gave project contractors high performance evaluations in 2008 and 2009, The New York Times reported.


Over the objections of unions and some council members, Bloomberg kept the project going.


In January 2009, the anonymous letter floated onto that CNN bulletin board. In September 2009, Bloomberg added another $140 million to the CityTime budget—bringing the total to more than $700 million.


And then, columnist Juan Gonzalez started writing articles about the project, reporting on December 4, 2009, that Spherion consultant Mitchell Goldstein made $490,000 that year. The top 11 consultants, he wrote, made an average of $307,000 a year through 2012.

Living the good life: CityTime’s former overseer, Joel Bondy

On December 17, he reported that Bondy convinced Spherion to hire Goldstein—a possible conflict of interest because the two men had been business partners.


Gonzalez quoted a former consultant who said he hardly did any real work, but got paid $120,000 for it. "The unwritten rule was to keep billing for the hours you showed up, not the work you did," this consultant told Gonzalez.


And even after the disclosure that Bondy had close ties to the people he was supposed to be overseeing, Bloomberg left him in office for another year.


In January of last year, Gonzalez reported that a tech consultant who used to work for the city got millions from CityTime while running a full-time lobbying firm.


Public pressure began to take hold, and the story started to move forward rapidly.


In February, Liu rejected an $8 million Spherion contract, and launched an audit of CityTime. The budget was now $722 million. He called on the mayor to freeze all contracts, calling it a "money pit."


In March, Bloomberg made his admission that the project was a "disaster," but insisted such projects were rarely successful. A few days later, he said he wished he had "focused on it more."


On March 26, Gonzalez reported that the CityTime project manager made $650,000 in 2009, and there were 39 other people making at least $500,000 a year. He noted that the city laid off 510 public school aides to save $12 million, while earmarking $24 million to pay CityTime consultants.


"How can anyone justify firing $18,000-a-year school aides while hiring half-a-million-dollar computer geeks who can't even deliver a good product?" Gonzalez wondered.


But Bloomberg's people continued to defend the need for the project and granted it an extension through September.


In June, the DOI investigation began, with that complaint from the consultant paid by a company not approved to work on the project.


By last August, Bloomberg and Liu were sparring over the contract. Liu didn't want to approve another $176 million in spending; Bloomberg was threatening to withhold paychecks.


The city Independent Budget Office reported then that $641 million in capital funds were either spent or planned, along with $232 million in spent and planned operating funds. That added up to more than $873 million.


Last September, Liu refused to pay $32 million to SAIC until next June unless the company finished the project by then. Finally, there was a penalty attached to missing a deadline: $3 million per month.


The indictments came down on December 15. The six defendants were released on bail. Authorities seized some $850,000 from safety deposit boxes.


Bondy was suspended the following day and resigned three days before Christmas. The Spherion contract was suspended. The Department of Education suspended a separate Spherion contract. Bloomberg ordered a review of technology projects.


The state comptroller jumped on the bandwagon, rejecting an SAIC contract. 


And now, with the federal and city investigations still ongoing, more indictments could be coming. But taxpayers have already paid for everyone else's mistakes, inattention, and misbehavior.


grayman@villagevoice.com

Breaking News - Anthony Como Finally Tells the Truth!!!!

Anthony Como makes major news in this video. He finally tells the TRUTH about this election... Wow! The truth! Knew it was somewhere in there.

It can be viewed in Fullscreen 1080 HD by viewing it YouTube...

Input Sought by NYC DOT on Woodhaven Blvd. by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

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The city Department of Transportation is seeking the public’s comments on improving Woodhaven Boulevard.

The DOT conducted a public input session seeking ideas and concerns on a range of topics, including safety, traffic flow, mass transit, street layout, parking and walking conditions pertaining to Woodhaven Boulevard. The meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at the Forest Park Cooperative, Section 1, located at 83-55 Woodhaven Blvd.

Residents, business owners, commuters and other local stakeholders attended.

Pedestrian crossing of the boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Rego Park, Middle Village, Glendale and Woodhaven, has long been a contentious issue.

Last month, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) called for changing the timing of the lights at certain parts of the boulevard to allow pedestrians more time to cross, during a press conference with senior citizen groups.

Seniors and others have complained that there is not enough time allotted to cross Woodhaven Boulevard, which is as wide as 10 lanes in some areas.

The DOT has been studying the problem since 2008.

Read previous postings: Senator Addabbo and Assemblyman Miller Team with AARP to Make Our Streets and Sidewalks Safer

Woodhaven Blvd Unsafe for Pedestrians by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle

Addabbo: Budget Target Date Was Unrealistic - Queens Chronicle

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State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) called on the Legislature this week to put efficiency ahead of timeliness when it comes to crafting the state budget.

“Given the fact that we are facing the largest budget deficit in New York State history since the Great Depression and the religious holidays are this week, completing a complex budget by April 1 seems unrealistic,” Addabbo said just before the statutory deadline. “Therefore, I am more concerned about making the appropriate spending cuts and not raising taxes.”

The senator said he believes there is a unique opportunity to evaluate the efficiency of state agencies and to streamline the government.

The budget is burdened by a deficit that could be larger than $9.5 billion.In March, the Senate passed a property tax reduction measure. This legislation was an important first step and could provide property tax relief to more than 53,000 households in Addabbo’s district, he said. Now the issue becomes what cuts in spending need to be made in order to pay for the property tax reduction or any other restoration to the cuts proposed by Gov. David Paterson, Addabbo added.

In late March, the Senate passed its budget resolution to start negotiations. The senator said it included a rejection of the governor’s proposals to implement $1.1 billion in new taxes, a restoration of senior funding cuts, protection for state parks and a provision for property tax relief. It does not include the borrowing of monies to close the deficit.

Critics of the resolution point to the proposed $1.4 billion cuts to education and the lack of deep spending reductions. “This resolution is a starting point from which the budget gets negotiated,” Addabbo said. “I expect that after Democrats and Republicans come together to review budget alternatives and start to restore some of these proposed cuts, we will wind up in a slightly better place.”

Once the Legislature conference committees have completed their deliberations, legislative leaders will consider the reports of each. Addabbo said he believes the budget deficit will be addressed in an efficient and open manner that will protect vital services and not bring huge increases in the cost of living.

“Make no mistake, this is going to be a bad budget due to a bad economy,” he said. “Many credible programs will be cut and the state will have to do more with less. What is important is that these cuts must be restored when the state is fiscally able to do so. There is no valid reason we in the Legislature could not agree on a state budget in early April. We are all in this together, and by working together, I believe we will weather our state’s fiscal crisis.”

Seminerio Seat Special Election Riles Baldeo by Howard Koplowitz - Queens Campaigner

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Gov. David Paterson intends to call a special election to fill the seat vacated by former state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, according to an e-mail written by the lawyer for the city Board of Elections.

If Paterson follows through, a wrench would be thrown into the plans of the six contenders running for the seat, who have raised funds and collected petition signatures that would be voided.

“I have just been informed by the governor’s office that Governor Paterson intends to issue a proclamation … calling a special election to fill the vacancy,” wrote Steven H. Richman, counsel for the city Board, in an e-mail sent July 22 to the board’s commissioners, executive management and legal department.

Ozone Park attorney Albert Baldeo, who has about $150,000 in his campaign account and said he submitted 8,000 signatures in his bid to replace Seminerio, was one of six candidates who anticipated running in a primary election in September and the general election in November.

But under a special election, which according to Richman’s e-mail is expected to be called for Primary Day, the petitioning process would be circumvented with the borough’s party leaders choosing candidates to run.

“I feel that [a special election] abdicates the rights of the voters,” Baldeo said. “This is a violation of the right to vote.”

“Here you’re going against the will of 15,000 people,” he said, referring to the collective number of signatures obtained by the candidates.

Running along with Baldeo are Community District Education Council 24 President and Community Board 9 member Nick Comaianni, Forest Park Senior Citizens Center Executive Director Donna Caltabiano, state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) aide Lourdes Ventura, CB 5 member Michael Miller and Farouk Samaroo, a former aide to ex-Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin.

Seminerio, who resigned from the Assembly a day before pleading guilty to honest services mail fraud charges, remains as a Democratic district leader and would have influence over who the Democratic Party chooses as its candidate if a special election were held.

A political observer familiar with the race said some party leaders were uncomfortable that they would “have to lobby a convicted felon” to back their preferred candidate.

Queens Democratic sources said a special election would undermine Baldeo, whom they did not perceive as the party’s choice for the seat, according to City Hall News.

But Baldeo said he believed the party would endorse him in the end because of his loyalty and support to the machine’s candidates.

Baldeo came within 8,000 votes of ousting then-state Sen. Serphin Maltese in 2006 and bowed out of a possible rematch in 2008 in favor of then-City Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who went on to win the seat and helped Democrats capture the majority in the Senate for the first time since 1965.

“I paved the way for [Addabbo] to get that seat,” Baldeo said. “I have made good with the party. I’ve done my part for them.”

Gov Paterson, Senate Maj Leader Smith and Assembly Speaker Silver Announcer the Reopening of Solicitation Process for VLT Facility at Aqueduct...

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New Deadline for Bids is May 8

Governor David A. Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today announced that New York State is seeking new proposals to select an experienced gaming operator to build and operate a Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) facility at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2009. As with the original proposal, the selected operator will be chosen by the unanimous agreement between the Governor, Majority Leader and Speaker.

“We remain absolutely committed to bringing a VLT facility to Aqueduct, which will provide much needed economic development to the race track, and critical funding for education in New York,” said Governor Paterson. “It is extremely disappointing that the economic crisis has slowed this development, but we are confident that Aqueduct will be transformed into a destination spot for racing and gaming fans.”

“Growing our economy through job creation and economic development projects such as the implementation of VLTs at Aqueduct will move our state toward the type of new economy New York needs to get back on track,” Senate Majority Leader Smith said. “Though it is dissapointing that the process has been slowed due to the struggling economy, I am confident that we can find a new partner to build Aqueduct into a gaming location that bolsters the local and state economy.”

“It is essential to the long-term successful operation of New York’s racing industry that we find the most qualified vendor to operate VLTs at Aqueduct,” Speaker Silver said. “Though the economic recession has delayed the course of selecting a vendor, the state remains committed to ensuring the best option is selected for the State and the community to create a quality destination and entertainment venue at Aqueduct.”

Last October, Governor Paterson, then Majority Leader Dean R. Skelos and Speaker Silver unanimously selected Delaware North to develop and operate a VLT facility at Aqueduct. Unfortunately, the downturn in the financial markets prevented Delaware North from providing the financing necessary to move forward with the project.

An updated version of the State’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was made public today. It outlines a potential framework for terms related to the operation and development of a VLT facility at Aqueduct, and includes the following components:

• The winning bidder would pay the full amount of their proposed upfront franchise fee no later than ten business days following the execution of the MOU.

• The State would issue personal income tax bonds through the Empire State Development Corporation in the amount of $250 million to finance eligible VLT project costs. The net amount borrowed would be advanced to the selected bidder to be used for project capital costs incurred in the construction of a VLT facility at Aqueduct.

• The VLT facility would be constructed by the VLT Vendor, which will be responsible for its design and construction subject to the terms of the MOU and applicable laws and regulations. Neither ESDC nor the State will be responsible for construction or cost overruns.

• The State would enter into an agreement with the winning bidder for a fixed period of 30-years, with a possible 10-year extension based on the attainment of reasonable benchmarks that ensure satisfactory performance.

Vendors may propose modifications to this MOU as part of their bids. These proposed changes will be considered by the Governor, Majority Leader, and Speaker in making their selection.

State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. said: “I am more optimistic today about the future of Aqueduct and our surrounding communities now that he VLT solicitation process has begun. I intend to inform my residents and ensure their involvement in the process that pertains to protecting Aqueduct.”

Assemblywoman Audrey I. Pheffer said: “The installation of VLTs will certainly help to improve Aqueduct and stimulate the racing industry and economic growth in New York. It is unfortunate that the process of finding a qualified vendor has taken this long. Nevertheless, it is important that New York continues the bidding process in order to enhance the facility and provide needed revenues for the State.”

Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, Chari of the Racing and Wagering Committee, said: “Aqueduct is one of the reasons that New York is a national thoroughbred racing industry leader. The installation of VLTs at the facility has been a top priority in our goal of attracting tourists and stimulating economic development in the region. It was essential that New York reopen its bidding process to move forward with this important project.”

To review the solicitation letter and MOU visit www.ny.gov/governor/aqueduct.

Smith Will Allow Senate Vote on Bill to Require Term Limits Referendum by Sal Gentile - City Hall News

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Speaking at a City Hall On/Off the Record breakfast Nov. 7, incoming State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith threw up a potential roadblock to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s bid for a third term. Asked whether he would allow the State Senate to vote on a bill, sponsored by several Democratic lawmakers, that would require a public referendum before the city’s term limits law could be changed, Smith gave a simple answer: “Yep.”

Threats by Democratic state lawmakers to preempt the mayor’s bill to extend term limits with their own measure were seen as largely symbolic because Senate Republicans, who have benefited from the mayor’s financial largesse, would almost certainly have prevented a vote on the bill.

But now that Democrats have wrested control of the Senate from Republicans, the bill’s sponsors, including Smith’s third-in-command, State Sen. Kevin Parker, may be able to cobble together enough votes to pass it.

Smith declined to say whether he would support the measure himself, though he did say he opposed the concept of term limits.

“I can’t tell you that I wouldn’t vote for it,” Smith said. “I can tell you that I’m not a proponent of term limits. I never have been. I think term limits is that the voters have the opportunity to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to us.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has already said that he would allow a similar bill sponsored by Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries to go through the normal legislative process. Silver has been perceived as leery of passing a one-house bill just to goad Bloomberg, but now that the bill could have life within the Senate, its chances of passage in the Assembly—which come January will have just 41 Republicans out of 150 members—are improved.

Traditionally, leaders of the Senate and Assembly have only allowed votes on bills they know will pass. But it was unclear whether there was enough support in the Senate to pass Parker’s measure, or whether Smith—who has had a somewhat rocky relationship with Bloomberg—would simply allow a symbolic vote as a way to brush back the mayor for his strong support, in both endorsements and campaign support, for Senate Republicans.

The Democrats will likely hold a slim 32-30 majority in the Senate when they take over in January, and it was unclear whether Bloomberg allies and the so-called “gang of four” dissident Democrats would support Parker’s bill, though one of them, Hiram Monserrate, already cast a vote against Bloomberg’s extension in the City Council.

Another, State Sen. Ruben Diaz, might have a personal stake in stopping the extension of term limits, since that would clear the way for his son, Assembly Member Ruben Diaz Jr. to have an open race for Bronx borough president. Yet another, State Sen. Carl Kruger, has toyed with the idea of running for Brooklyn borough president, a race which would be also be open if term limits were to remain in place.

Joseph Addabbo, another incoming Senate Democrat, also voted against the mayor’s bill in the City Council. And fellow freshman Daniel Squadron—whose State Senate bid was endorsed by both Bloomberg and Rep. Anthony Weiner, a harsh critic of the mayor’s bill and likely 2009 opponent—made support for the concept of term limits a key plank in his reformist agenda, and has said that he opposes extending term limits legislatively.

“I don’t think folks should extend term limits for themselves,” Squadron told the Downtown Express on Oct. 31.

An unresolved State Senate race in Queens may further complicate the bill’s prospects. In that race, Democrat James Gennaro, a member of the City Council, trails Republican Frank Padavan by just 723 votes, with an unknown number of paper ballots left to be counted.

Gennaro also voted against the mayor’s bill in the Council. Were he to prevail, the Democrats’ margin in the Senate would increase to 33-29, adding another likely vote for Parker's bill. Supporters would then need to hold the other members of the conference or pull in a few Republican votes.

Should the bill pass both houses, it would go to Gov. David Paterson for approval. While avoiding specific comment on the term limits extension, Paterson has said he thinks Bloomberg has done a good job and could continue doing a good job in a third term.

Whether he would be willing to sign legislation halting the term limits extension and openly confront Bloomberg, whose wealth and popularity would make him an instant favorite were he to run for governor against Paterson in 2010, remains an open question.

sgentile@cityhallnews.com

SD-15 - Addabbo Leads Maltese 45% - 43% in Latest Siena College Poll - Siena New York

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15th SD – Queens County – Serph Maltese (R, incumbent) vs. Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D) Addabbo currently has a slim 45-43 percent lead over Maltese. In the September Siena poll, the two were tied at 42 percent, in this district that has an overwhelmingly Democratic enrollment edge. Maltese has the support of more than three-quarters of Republicans and one-quarter of Democrats. Addabbo leads 61-27 percent among Democrats and picks up the support of 20 percent of Republicans. Maltese leads among independent voters 51-31 percent. Maltese leads by four points with men, while Addabbo has a seven-point lead with women. Addabbo leads in the southern part of the district and Maltese leads in the north.

Maltese is viewed favorably by 45 percent of voters and unfavorably by 33 percent of voters, down from a 48-16 percent favorable rating previously. Addabbo’s favorable rating is 42-30 percent, and was previously 38-20 percent.

Obama leads McCain in this district 57-32 percent, up from 49-31 percent.

“In this district that gives a 25-point lead to Obama over McCain and an identical 25-point lead to Democratic over Republican control of the Senate, the battle for State Senator remains neck and neck. Senator Maltese held on to win a tight race in this heavily Democratic district two years ago, and it looks like the outcome this year will again not be known until the last votes are counted Tuesday night,” Greenberg said.

Dem Backers Show Up for Addabbo - I On Politics | www.qgazette.com

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DEM BACKERS SHOW UP FOR ADDABBO: As the election calendar showed the start of the final month of the 2008 campaign, City Councilmember Joseph Addabbo Jr. turned his campaign for state senator against incumbent Senator Serphin Maltese up a couple of notches.

At one of his biggest rallies of the campaign, the Ozone Park/Howard Beach lawmaker was joined by City Comptroller William Thompson, Congressmember Anthony Weiner and other Democratic Party supporters, as well as members of several labor unions who have endorsed him and pledged to hit the pavement for him from now to Election Day on November 4.

All told, about 300 Addabbo supporters showed up at the Ridgewood Democratic Club to start the countdown to Election Day. To Addabbo, the large turnout represented the "people power" component of the campaign, and when the day ended, the labor union volunteers had accomplished one of their missions: ringing some 3,000 doorbells to pass the word about Addabbo's candidacy.

Thompson and Weiner, who both plan to run for mayor next year, gave pep talks to the energized crowd, both hitting the same theme about the need for change in Albany.

Addabbo also promised to "deliver for all New Yorkers" and to keep the pressure on until Election Day.

Council Opens Term-limit Debate by Matt Hampton - Queens Chronicle

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When Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last week that he planned to topple term limits, few doubted his sincerity. Bloomberg has spent the better part of the last year looking for his next job, and now, it seems that the one he wants is the one he already has.

After an announcement last Thursday, the mayor’s plan has moved forward in earnest, with the City Council holding a fervent debate on the subject, and promising to follow what they believe is the will of the people.

Tuesday was the most important day so far on the subject, as the City Council considered for the first time two pieces of legislation designed to crystallize the debate. One introduction, put forth by Queens Councilmen John Liu, David Weprin, Eric Gioia and Brooklyn’s Bill De Blasio, closes the loophole that would allow a council vote to extend term limits by another term.

Known as Intro. 850, the law would require that any change to the term-limit law would have to first pass via a referendum — a vote among New York City’s 8 million citizens — before it could be considered by the council.

The other piece of legislation, spearheaded by Brooklyn Councilman Simcha Felder and known as Intro. 845, effectively changes the term-limit law from a limit of two terms to three, essentially cutting out the electorate. Felder, the author of the brief legislation (roughly three paragraphs long) has received more discretionary funds from the Mayor’s Office than any other council member currently serving.

Both pieces of legislation were sent to the council’s Committee on Governmental Operations on Tuesday, which is chaired by Felder. There are six other members of the committee, two of whom — Councilmen Joseph Addabbo Jr., and Peter Vallone Jr. — are from Queens.

Addabbo, in response to questions from the Queens Chronicle, said he would vote no on any term-limit change that came legislatively.

“He would only support a public referendum — if we were to put it back on the ballot as a referendum, then that would be the only process by which he would possibly accept a ruling,” said Alexis Grenell, Addabbo’s spokesman for his state Senate campaign.

Vallone is undecided on changing the law by council vote.

Once the two introductions come out of committee, they’d have to be put to a vote in the City Council chambers. Council Speaker Christine Quinn told reporters that while many in the group have made up their mind, the council was not yet close to a vote on the subject, and that it may be weeks before the council decides to put it on the floor.

Queens council members are somewhat split on the subject, with many refusing to state their positions.

Councilman Tony Avella, an avowed proponent of term limits, told the Queens Chronicle that he’s outraged by the conduct of Bloomberg and Quinn, but does not trust his fellow council members to do the right thing.

“It is the height of arrogance and hypocrisy (by the mayor) to overturn the will of the people,” he said. “Unfortunately, I think it will pass in the City Council.”

Councilman James Gennaro said much the same thing.

“The issue of extending term limits has gone to the people twice through public referendum, and any revisiting of the issue should go back to the people.If brought before the council, I would uphold the will of the people and vote no.”

Comptroller William Thompson Jr., whose well-publicized mayoral run has been somewhat derailed by the discussion over term limits, also accused Bloomberg of circumventing democracy.

“People must come before politics,” he said in a statement. “It is inappropriate for the mayor and City Council to pass legislation that ignores the will of the voters. A government should serve its people and not itself. New Yorkers deserve nothing less.”

It’s not easy to find much justification for a yes vote among Queens Council members. Vallone has said in the past that he believes Bloomberg has done a fine job as chief executive of New York City, but was unwilling to elaborate recently other than to say that he is opposed to the idea of term limits. He added that any change should be taken on via referendum.

Many current council members share his ideological views on the referendum, not limited to Liu, Weprin and Gioia.

“I hate to say it, because we are in trying times and the mayor would be good for the city’s future for another term, but it’s the law and it’s not something we should do by one fell swoop of the pen,” said the council’s newest member, Anthony Como (R-Middle Village). Many of the “no” stances would change to “yes” votes in the event that a referendum were mandated by law, and were able to be voted on, something Avella said would probably happen in a matter of about six months.

“The earliest you could have a special election is in March or April and it would be expensive,” he said.

Helen Marshall, the borough president, said she is in favor of overturning term limits, although — like the mayor — she does not have a vote on the subject.

She called any potential action taken to extend term limits “acceptable,” and highlighted the importance of “institutional memory.” She also admitted that she would be interested in running again in the event that term limits were extended.

City Council hearings on the two proposals will be held on Oct. 16 and 17. No location has been set. The first hearing will be held at 3 p.m., with no time announced for the second one.

©Queens Chronicle 2008

Countdown to Election Day with Joe Addabbo - Rally at the Ridgewood Democratic Club with Pols and Unions

NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson, Us Rep Anthony Weiner, City, State and Local Officials Rally for Addabbo - Over 250 Union Foot Soldiers Flood the 15^th SD

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Exactly one month before Election Day, the Addabbo Campaign kicked-off the official countdown with a massive rally at the Ridgewood Democratic Club. Over 250 volunteer canvassers from Communication Workers of America, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, 32BJ, and the Hotel Trades Council stormed the 100 year-old building as a coterie of city, state, and federal official addressed the boisterous crowd. By day’s end the campaign had visited over 3,000 households. The event was the first of many such mass invasions, in addition to the campaign’s nightly canvass.

“I’m so proud to be standing here in this room, where regular folks are making a difference. All the money in the world can’t buy what we have here today: people power. This campaign is about you, about delivering for all New Yorkers. Expensive commercials and mail can’t reverse forty years of failure. We’re going to speak truth to power, and the people’s will shall prevail,” said Addabbo to thunderous applause.

"This is more than about Republicans or Democrats, it’s about good policies. We need to send Joe Addabbo to Albany so that we can secure good jobs that offer benefits, and expand health care coverage so that no one in New York State is left behind. In these dire economic times, politics as usual just isn’t going to cut it. With Joe Addabbo we have a chance to usher in a new era,” added New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

The surge of support drew stares, as volunteers grabbed brown bag lunches and piled into vans bound for Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Ozone Park, Tudor Village, Glendale, Liberty Park, Richmond Hill, and fanned out across the 15^th senate district.

"Joe Addabbo will fight for us in Albany and work to ensure that middle class and those struggling to make it have access to a quality public education, affordable housing, and low-cost healthcare. On November 4th, by supporting Joe Addabbo, residents of the 15th Senate District can help keep New York the capital of the middle class,” said Congressman Anthony Weiner.

Elected officals

NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson

US Congressman Anthony Weiner

State Senators: Eric Adams, Tom Duane, Jeff Klein, Liz Krueger and Shirley Huntley

Assembly Members: Audrey Pheffer, Cathy Nolan, Marge Markey and Jose Peralta

Council Members: Jessica Lappin, Dan Garodnick, John Liu,Hiram Monserrate and David Yassky

District Leaders: Frank Gulluscio (23 AD - Part A) and Tom Bornemann (37 AD - Part B)

Mayor Bloomberg's Push for Third Term Affects Queens Politicians by John Lauinger and Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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Mayor Bloomberg's controversial push to extend term limits has caused a seismic shift in the borough's political landscape, forcing City Council members seeking higher office to make difficult decisions.

Many members of the Queens delegation must choose between voting to keep their current jobs or bucking the mayor while running for state or citywide office.

This scramble could also shatter the dreams of newcomers eying Council runs in 2009, a year in which 13 of 14 members of the delegation will be ousted by term limits - unless Bloomberg gets his way.

"I'm committed to running for a citywide office," said Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing). He refused to say whether he would run for controller or public advocate, claiming he saw the term-limit turmoil coming.

"I've always said this was a possibility," Liu said.

Council members Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills) and David Weprin (D-Hollis), who plan to run for controller in 2009, could be in a quandary if Controller Bill Thompson opts for another term. So far, Thompson has said he plans to continue his mayoral bid.

Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside), who has been gearing up to run for public advocate, also expects to continue his campaign.

Liu and Gioia have said they will vote against repealing term limits. And maverick Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who has said he has no plans to step aside from his 2009 mayoral campaign, will also oppose the bill.

Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), who had been planning to run for Queens borough president in 2009, said he is waiting to see the actual bill before deciding whether to support it.

"I've always been opposed to an eight-year limit but I also have never supported changing it through legislation," Vallone said.

Bloomberg's power play could provide a fall-back option for term-limited Councilmen Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) and James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) should either fail in their bids for state Senate this fall.

Both said they would vote against extending term limits.

"That's the smart thing to say if you are running," said Democratic strategist George Arzt.

He noted that candidates must be careful not to cross the voters, given that they overwhelmingly backed term limits in two referendums during the 1990s.

Addabbo, who hopes to topple GOP veteran Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) in a key race for state Senate supremacy, downplayed the matter.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's a nonissue, and I remain focused on winning in November," Addabbo said.

But should either Addabbo or Gennaro come up empty on Election Day, they would face a credibility issue if they decided to run for a third term next year.

"It would be seen as a bit hypocritical," said Republican Eric Ulrich, who is running for Addabbo's seat in 2009.

lcolangelo@nydailynews.com

Giuliani Waltzes in Ridgewood by Ben Hogwood - Queens Chronicle

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Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor and failed Republican presidential candidate, danced with members of the Peter Cardella Senior Center, in Ridgewood.



Giuliani came to the center on Tuesday to talk about the upcoming elections, particularly the race for state Senate District 15 between incumbent Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) and Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Ozone Park). He visited the city between national stops promoting Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Doctor Chartock Reaches into His Mailbag - WAMC Northeast Public Radio Blog - WAMC (Inside) » - timesunion.com - Albany NY

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Dear Doctor:

I heard you on the radio speaking about the possibility of the Democrats taking the State Senate. My political science teacher, who I think is a Republican and is much smarter than you are, says this is a very bad idea. He thinks one- party rule would be bad for the state and the Democrats would spend us out of house and home. My teacher says that balanced government is best and that the Democratic conference is not fit to rule. My father says that my mother says that my teacher is very smart. Is he?

Sign me,
Paul from Perplexedville

Dear Paul:

Let there be no question about it — this is going to be a very close election and members of the Republican majority under Joe Bruno are scared to death that they will lose their power. The only way they have perpetuated their majority party status is to use the gerrymander to draw districts where they can’t lose. To say the least, this distorts the whole concept of free and fair elections. The fact is that there are a lot more Democrats in New York than Republicans and that this day of reckoning has been a long time coming.

Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith has been leading the way to impose a limit on how much New Yorkers can have their property taxes raised. That should provide some answer to those who think that the Democrats will be tax and spenders. In the meantime, it looks like a few races are providing some impetus to the Democrats. In Queens, a Democrat with a famous political name, Joseph Addabbo, Jr., is running against a Republican, Serphin Maltese. Maltese came very close to losing against a political unknown in his last election and Addabbo is the son of a famous congressman who served the district. There are also several other close state Senate races including one on Long Island, one in Rochester and another in Queens. Of course, no one is above dirty tricks. Look for a disappointed office seeker who will lose in a primary to Addabbo to run as a third party candidate and spoil the Democrats’ chance to take the Senate.

The Republicans, backed by the big money crowd and some of the labor unions, will try to outspend the Democrats. Eliot Spitzer was trying to raise a lot of money to help Democratic candidates but that doesn’t seem to be happening in the new administration. There are some very close races in some Senate districts and I predict some big surprises in this presidential year in blue state New York. I hope this answers your question. You can be sure that if the Republicans do lose, there will be a huge retirement party for a lot of other Republican senators who will quit en masse. They have no intention of sticking around in the minority.