Elected Officials Want PA to Provide Community With Expert Help

12 Western Queens Electeds Ask Port Authority to Provide Community With Expert to Make Its Arguments about Cross Harbor Threat

“We need to ensure that the community’s views and concerns about danger of

additional truck and rail traffic are presented in the most professional manner.”

Assemblywoman Marge Markey and eleven other elected officials have formally asked the Port Authority of NY-NJ (PA) to provide the Western Queens community with professional support to respond to the agency’s new Cross Harbor Freight Movement Program.

The Port Authority began a series of briefings this fall as it began an environmental impact statement for its initiative to control the movement of freight into and through New York metropolitan region.

At a forum sponsored by Citizens of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together (COMET) on November 16, Assemblywoman Markey said that the community deserved expert assistance in framing its arguments about the current and future impact of rail and truck traffic that will potentially result from implementation of the Cross Harbor Program. “We need a consultant who will work directly with local public officials and Community Board Five to ensure that community views and concerns are properly documented and presented in the most professional manner,” she said.

In a letter to Port Authority Executive Director Christopher Ward, Markey and the other Queens public officials said: “We are in accord with your regional goals for coping with the movement of freight in the future, but we are determined to ensure that they are not achieved at the expense of our communities. Providing us with a consultant to work with us through this EIS process will help ensure the community’s views are incorporated into your final report.” 

In addition to Assemblywoman Markey, the letter was also signed by Congressman Joseph Crowley, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Congressman Anthony Weiner, State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Assemblyman Michael Miller, City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, City Councilmember Diana Reyna and City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer.

This is the second time in eight years that the communities of Maspeth, Ridgewood, Glendale and Middle Village have been put into the center of a plan to solve the region’s freight traffic problems to relieve the burden of truck traffic into New York. A 2003 proposal for a rail freight tunnel into the city from New Jersey would have made the local Fresh Pond Rail Yard a principal destination for the traffic from that route, burdening the surrounding communities with the adverse impact of an enormous increase in truck and rail traffic.   

The letter from Markey and the other officials to the Executive Director Ward said: “The communities of Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale and Ridgewood have been energized over recent years to find solutions to what are already intolerable conditions for many of our residents as a result of current rail and truck traffic,” adding, “We have been aggressively working with shippers, transportation companies and community organizations to address the adverse impact of current and near-term projected increases in truck and rail traffic on our neighborhoods. We need your help to ensure that community voices are heard in a meaningful way as your agency proceeds.”

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The full text of Assemblywoman Markey’s letter and names of those other elected officials who have signed with her follows:

December 7, 2010

Christopher Ward, Executive Director

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
One Madison Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10010

Re:  Cross Harbor Freight Movement Program

Dear Executive Director Ward:

My colleagues and I represent the Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale and Ridgewood communities that will be greatly impacted by the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Program. As your agency undertakes the scoping phase of your Tier I Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, we want to bring our concerns to your attention and seek your agency’s assistance.

While the Port Authority is properly motivated by the need to reduce highway congestion and eliminate travel delays in the metropolitan region, we believe that it is critical that the EIS process underway also address the potential impact that each of the various alternatives would have on our communities.  Your proposed solutions to reduce highway congestion should not further erode the quality of life of the thousands of families living in our communities who are already overwhelmed by truck traffic on commercial and residential streets and the impact the current rail freight traffic through our communities.

As public officials, we have been aggressively working with shippers, transportation companies and community organizations to address the adverse impact of current and near-term projected increases in truck and rail traffic on our neighborhoods. We need your help to ensure that community voices are heard in a meaningful way as your agency proceeds.

To do this, we respectfully request that the Port Authority retain a consultant who will work directly with local public officials and Community Board Five to ensure that community views and concerns are properly documented and presented in the most professional manner for inclusion in the EIS.

The communities of Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale and Ridgewood have been energized over recent years to find solutions to what are already intolerable conditions for many of our residents as a result of current rail and truck traffic. We are in accord with your regional goals for coping with the movement of freight in the future, but we are determined to ensure that they are not achieved at the expense of our communities. Providing us with a consultant to work with us through this EIS process will help ensure the community’s views are incorporated into your final report.

Sincerely,

Margaret Markey, Member of Assembly

Joseph Crowley, Member of Congress

Nydia Velazquez, Member of Congress

Anthony Weiner, Member of Congress

Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., State Senator

Michael Gianaris, Member of Assembly

Andrew Hevesi, Member of Assembly

Michael Miller, Member of Assembly

Catherine Nolan, Member of Assembly

Elizabeth Crowley, City Councilmember

Diana Reyna, City Councilmember

Jimmy Van Bramer, City Councilmember

Support Grows for Legislative TV Channel by Support grows for legislative TV Channel By Amanda Cedrone - LegislativeGazette.com

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From left: Sen. John J. Bonacic, Sen. José M. Serrano, Assemblyman Ronald J. Canestrari and Assemblyman Darryl Towns listen to comments about how to expand an existing legislative television channel. Photo by Bob Bennett, Gazette photo.

The New York State Legislature Joint Advisory Board on Broadcast of State Government Proceedings met last week to discuss the future of the current legislative television channel.

The board, which is co-chaired by Sen. José M. Serrano, D-Bronx, and Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, has been appointed the task of expanding the content of the existing New York state Legislative channel. To accomplish this, the board recommends expanding the channel into a fully independent New York state government affairs channel modeled after C-SPAN.

"For too long the inner workings of the legislative process have been shrouded in secrecy," Serrano said. "By lifting the curtain, not just on legislative sessions, but on other important parts of the legislative process, we are providing programming that enables the public to become engaged in the workings of government and to take informed positions on the issues that matter to them."

The existing legislative channel was created in January 2006 when the Legislature sought to increase transparency and provide New Yorkers with greater access to proceedings in the Senate and Assembly chambers.

The channel broadcasts Assembly and Senate sessions. The board recently announced that beginning in January, all legislative hearings will also be broadcast. Serrano said his "highest priority for the channel is that it be completely free of any government appointees" and "completely nonpartisan."

Canestrari noted that the board's goal is to broadcast a full spectrum of governmental affairs content on the channel, including committee meetings, Court of Appeals hearings and hearings by the Board of Regents.

"Now we're not going to do just budget meetings, we're going to do Assembly hearings," said Canestrari.

The majority leader said the channel now remains dormant when the Legislature is not in session. With the expansion of the channel, much more content will be broadcast, regardless of whether the Legislature is in session.

"Why couldn't we [broadcast] Court of Appeals hearings when we aren't in session?" said Canestrari.

Board members hoped to achieve a better idea of the timeline of the project and the cost of the project through the hearings, in addition to soliciting ideas and opinions on how to improve upon the channel from those who testified.

Members of Common Cause/NY, a government watchdog group, have applauded the work of the board "to open up the legislative process with a public affairs channel."

Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY spoke at the hearing to offer advice on the expansion of the channel. Lerner emphasized the importance of involving the public in the hearings, saying that it is "crucial they be involved" if the channel is truly to benefit them.

"Often times, the public has strong opinions and good ideas," said Lerner.

Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, who also spoke at the hearing, emphasized a number of factors important to the success of the channel including that it be accessible to all, involve all three branches of government and be non-partisan.

Tim Rooney, president and CEO of The Cable Telecommunications Association of New York, Inc, answered questions from the board regarding the estimated timeline of the project as well as the cost.

Rooney said that initially expanding the channel will not take long.

"As soon as [the Senate and Assembly] are ready to provide hearings for us we'll put them up," said Rooney.

The cost of the channel has not been estimated as the board is still developing ideas through hearings around the state.

"I know the state doesn't have a lot of spare change to be throwing around on this," said Rooney. "And the business community doesn't either but, from what I've gathered at the meetings I've had to date, I think we're going to be able to have a really dramatically improved product in a little while. You are already producing the content and that's the most expensive part."

Eventually, members of the board hope the channel will be as comprehensive and successful as C-SPAN, though they acknowledge that channel took 25 years to get to where it is today.

"We have to start with the lowest hanging fruit first," said Horner. "We have to draw people into the process to get them to know what's going on."

Serrano also noted that all committee rooms are currently being hardwired for broadcast and that the process should take another four to six weeks.

"We've been able to get away from politics and truly decide the best way to put together this channel," said Serrano.

Other members of the board also include Sens. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, David Valesky, D-Oneida, John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope and Assembly members Darryl Towns, D-Brooklyn, Margaret Markey, D-Maspeth, and Jane Corwin, R-Williamsville.

Juniper Civic Congratulates Liz Crowley and Joe Addabbo -

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Christina Wilkinson, Joe Addabbo, Lorraine Sciulli, Robert Holden and Amy Holden

The Juniper Park Civic Association congratulates City Councilwoman-elect Elizabeth Crowley and State Senator-elect Joseph Addabbo on their decisive victories this Election Day. Their margins of victory were:

Joe Addabbo - 57%; Serphin Maltese - 42%
Elizabeth Crowley - 56%; Anthony Como - 44%

Christina Wilkinson, Lorraine Sciulli, Elizabeth Crowley and Robert Holden

We thank Senator Maltese for two decades of dedicated service as our State Senator.

The race for State Assembly District 30 went as follows:

Marge Markey - 68%; Tony Nunziato - 32%

While we are disappointed that Tony did not win, we are happy to retain him on our executive board so that he may join us in working closely with our new representatives on our neighborhood's key issues.

Email: cwilkinson@junipercivic.com

Newcomer Tony Nunziato Challenges Assembly Veteran Marge Markey by Brendan Brosh - NY Daily News

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The last time Democrat Marge Markey faced a challenge for her Assembly seat, the Internet had yet to become a must-have campaign tool for candidates.

For Markey, it still isn't.

The five-term incumbent is facing her first Election Day competition since 1998, from newcomer Tony Nunziato, a small-business owner and community leader.

Markey, 66, is running an old-school race, with no campaign Web site and no attempt to secure the Working Families Party line on the ballot.

Nunziato, 51, a Republican, is courting immigrant groups - Poles, Pakistanis and Hispanics - with ads in local newspapers.

Markey, who has represented Maspeth, Woodside and parts of Sunnyside for a decade, said she's running on her record.

"I have a lot of blue-collar workers in my district who may lose their jobs," she said. "I'm going to do my best to see that it doesn't happen."

Most Democrats nowadays are cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party, but Markey chose not to apply for the party line on the ballot.

"You can only be loyal to one party at a time," Markey said.

Nunziato, by contrast, is on three ballot lines - GOP, Conservative and Independence.

Nunziato said he isn't fazed by the voter registration figures that greatly favor Democrats. He said he is campaigning as an independent voice for the community.

"We're in a fiscal crisis right now," said Nunziato, who owns a florist shop on Grand Ave. in Maspeth and is active in local civic groups. "Nobody knows better about how to make ends meet than a small businessman."

This election marks a departure for local GOP leaders, who in the past did not actively run campaigns against incumbent Democrats in Queens.

"A one-party system is absolutely ridiculous," said Phil Ragusa of the Queens Republican Party. "We want to bring some balance to the state Assembly."

"Tony has put his business on hold while he runs for Assembly," he said. "He's committed."

Both candidates were invited to a debate at the Juniper Park Civic Association, but Nunziato said his opponent has refused to debate him in public.

Markey said the debate wouldn't have been a fair fight.

"That civic group has already endorsed him, and it would be futile to debate there," she said.

Longshot GOP Hopeful Looks to the Web to Win by Paul Leonard - Queens Chronicle

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Like any other underdog candidate, Tony Nunziato is trying to find any edge over his opponent.

But he’s not looking for a high-priced pollster or a well-connected political strategist for his campaign to unseat longtime Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth).

Instead, the first-time candidate made a call to Scott Detweiler, a software designer in Brookfield, Wis., almost 1,000 miles away from Nunziato’s Maspeth florist shop, which doubles as his campaign headquarters.

The result is a Web site without peer in a borough with numerous campaigns for city and state office. “Having a Web presence is essential for anyone running a grassroots operation,” said Eric Ulrich, Nunziato’s political director and the GOP candidate for Joe Addabbo’s council seat. “We’re not using traditional means of campaigning.”

Nunziato’s Web site integrates press releases, volunteer outreach and fundraising on a Web engine designed by Detweiler’s company, Ideal Campaigns.

And if the longshot 30th Assembly District candidate’s Web site looks familiar, that’s because Detweiler has also created campaign sites for failed GOP presidential candidates Duncan Hunter and Tommy Thompson. “I’m a conservative Republican, and it seemed natural to use our technology to help conservative candidates reach out to voters,” Detweiler said.

With the Web site up and running since Nunziato formally kicked off his campaign last week in Maspeth, the jury is still out about whether his beefed-up Internet presence will make any difference in the short time left before the November election. “When next week’s numbers come out, I think you’ll see a big bump for us,” Nunziato said, referring to his campaign’s next periodic financial disclosure report, due to come out before Election Day.

The latest financial disclosure statement from the state elections board in July had $21,439.07 on hand for Nunziato, compared with $18,768.98 for Markey.

For a campaign short on both political traction and time in a predominately Democratic Assembly district once held by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Bronx, Queens), the beefed-up Web presence adds much needed weight to Nunziato’s campaign.

And with his incumbent opponent lacking any Internet campaign footprint, Nunziato is at least making a play for an increasing number of voters who get their news and information from the Internet.

A spokesman for Markey called out Nunziato’s Web site for not accurately reflecting the GOP challenger’s candidacy or addressing the needs of the 30th Assembly District, which includes Maspeth, Woodside and parts of Long Island City, Middle Village, Astoria and Sunnyside.

But Detweiler is clear that his campaign Web engine is no magic bullet for longshot GOP candidates — a fact driven home by Hunter and Thompson’s early exit from the Republican campaign trail earlier this year.

“I’m a software developer, not a political activist,” Detweiler said. “I can’t win campaigns.... that’s not my job.”

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

Click here to view these pictures larger

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)