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

NY Daily News: Refuge's Center Gets a (Green) Thumbs Up - Eco-friendly Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Opens by Rachel Monahan...

Rep. Anthony Weiner (2nd from l.) cuts ribbon on visitor center for Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last week. At Weiner's l., refuge official Barry Sullivan, and to his r., a local high school teacher.

This building is designed to welcome people to the natural world and be friendly to it, too.

A new $3.3 million visitor center for the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge opened last week after more than five years of design and construction.

"As a society, we're taking our toll on Mother Nature. We are creating changes in our environment that have not been seen in the history of recorded time," said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens), who got the funding for the new center. "And we need to start doing something about it."

Once certified, the building will be the first in the National Park Service's Northeast Region to meet a stringent standard for green buildings known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, said Carol Whipple, the project manager.

The 10,000 acres of the wildlife refuge provides an important stopover for migratory birds. In all, more than 330 species of birds call it home.

The new visitor center features innovations such as rooftop solar panels and geothermal heating. But for the most part, it isn't exotic technology that makes it so green, said architect Richard Southwick of Beyer Blinder Belle.

"It's really age-old traditional architecture," he said. "These are things that have been used around the world for thousands and thousands of years."

The lighting is 90% natural.

On a warm summer day, the breeze from open windows pulled upward by a wind turbine on the roof keeps the central hall plenty cool without air conditioning.

The building also maximizes the sun's rays in winter, including windows aligned for the sun's winter path and its warmth collected in a dark, heat-retaining floor.

"We did a solar study to see where the sun passed. We did a cardboard model with lights," Whipple said.

Additionally, all the materials came from within 500 miles, including recycled redwood siding and easily renewable materials such as the bamboo and cork floors and the natural-fiber cabinets.

They also reused the old concrete structure on the site. The urinals are waterless, and the landscaping outside relies on native plants.

The local wildlife also seemed at home at the new visitor center. During the opening ceremonies, an egret, ibis, tree swallow and osprey put in appearances.

Queens Courier: Call For More Howard Beach Security by Tonia N. Cimino...

THE QUEENS COURIER/FILE PHOTO
Most Howard Beach residents consider the Buckeye Pipeline “part of the landscape,” but in the wake of the recent terror plot, many are calling for increased Homeland Security funding for the area.

In the wake of the recent terror plot that targeted the jet-fuel tanks at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and the Buckeye Pipeline that runs primarily through Howard Beach, city, state and federal officials - as well as concerned residents -held a meeting to call for increased Homeland Security funding for camera surveillance and a beefed-up police presence in the area.

“We wanted to reassure people that we are not going to blow up, and that something will be done,” said Community Board 6 (CB 6) District Manager Frank Gulluscio at the Sunday, June 10 forum. “The way lower Manhattan and Wall Street are protected, we should have a similar level because of the high density of people.”

Gulluscio noted that many in Howard Beach consider the orange pipes with a yellow label and black lettering that read WARNING PETROLEUM PIPELINE “part of the landscape.”

According to City Councilmember Joseph Addabbo, the pipeline crosses from Lindenwood southeast to 157th Avenue, over Cross Bay Boulevard, to the other side of Howard Beach, and ends at JFK Airport. He went on to say that along this span are two senior centers, P.S. 232, St. Helen School, the Rockwood Park Jewish Center, P.S. 207, Our Lady of Grace School, P.S. 146 and a day care center.

“We are looking to expand [the cameras found on city sidewalks] to compensate for the lack of police officers,” said Addabbo. “We are also asking for an increase of federal funding and federal attention to this issue.”

Congressmembers Gregory Meeks and Anthony Weiner echoed the call for added vigilance.

“I am calling for increased federal resources from the department of Homeland Security to complement the ongoing security efforts of the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey at JFK,” said Meeks. “Such resources would include increased federal funding out of Homeland Security dollars, as well as federal law enforcement police patrolling the fuel farms and working with the Port Authority Police Department who has primary jurisdiction at New York’s airports to better protect lives, property and commerce in and around JFK Airport."

“We’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Adam Hicks, Port Authority spokesperson.

“Security has always been a priority,” he continued, pointing out that the agency recently announced plans for the construction of a $138 million “virtual fence” to surround the airport.

Modeled after that at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, the fence would utilize technology such as motion detectors, sensors, radar, and thermal imaging.

Despite the plans, many residents feel less than safe, especially now.

“I think it was awful that they put the actual map of the pipeline in the paper,” said Stacy Ricci, 38, who lives in Howard Beach. “Now, everybody knows where it [the pipeline] is if they want to blow it up.”

Others complained that, in the post 9/11 era of “If you see something, say something,” calls of suspicious behavior to 3-1-1 have gone unheeded.

“Residents saw suspicious cars and people taking pictures of the airport runways in a Hamilton Beach park,” noted Gulluscio. “When they called 3-1-1, they were told to call the local (106th Precinct). This is a federal issue.”

Times-Ledger: JFK Pipeline Warrants Police Patrol: U.S. Reps by Howard Koplowitz...

Two Queens congressmen joined together Sunday in calling on federal, state and local law enforcement officials to do more to protect John F. Kennedy International Airport from a terrorist attack.

At a news conference in Howard Beach, U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) said the fuel tanks allegedly targeted in a terrorist plot that was recently foiled should be monitored by surveillance cameras.

They also called for additional police patrols of the area and more communications between federal, state and local officials.

Both Meeks and Weiner said the aborted terror plot should serve as a reminder to the federal government that New York remains one of the country's most prominent targets.

"I am calling for increased federal resources from the Department of Homeland Security to compliment the ongoing security efforts of the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey at JFK," Meeks said.

Prosecutors claim that alleged mastermind Russel Defreitas, Abdul Kadir, Abdel Nur and Kareem Ibrahim planned the attack. Defreitas was arrested at a Brooklyn diner earlier this month while Kadir, Nur and Ibrahim were apprehended in Trinidad. A Trinidadian judge denied bail for Kadir, Nur and Ibrahim pending an extradition hearing.

In the wake of the failed plot, state Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) said Google should blur out or obscure images of sensitive locations, such as the airports, nuclear power plants and landmark buildings, from its Google Earth program.

"I don't know why anyone would need to know where a jet tank is located," Gianaris said.

Residents and leaders of the neighborhoods surrounding the airport also said recently that more needs to be done to protect JFK, specifically the pipeline that brings petroleum to the airport. Members of Community Board 10, which covers Howard Beach, Ozone Park and Broad Channel, also said at their monthly meeting last week that an evacuation plan for residents near the pipeline should be drafted.

CB 10 member John Marus said police should monitor the pipeline, which runs primarily under 157th Avenue in Howard Beach, by helicopter.

"By the grace of God, we were spared," Marus said, noting there should be evacuation routes in case of an attack on the pipeline.

"What do we have as far as a local plan?" he asked.

One CB 10 member said there was no "comprehensive escape plan for the area.

"It's get up and run [but] when all the cars crash at the intersection, nobody runs," he said.

CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said there should be more of a police presence in the vicinity of the pipeline, but cautioned that she was not asking authorities to profile individuals.

She also said there should be video surveillance of trucks that enter the airport.

Kenneth Zorn, community affairs officer for the 106th Precinct, said the precinct was asked to identify potential terrorist targets following the Sept. 11 attacks. The pipeline was listed as such a target. He said officers routinely search the weeds surrounding the pipeline for suspicious activity during patrols. But Braton said it is not just a possible attack on the pipeline that has her concerned. Howard Beach is known for elaborate fireworks displays on July 4, which Braton said could enable a terrorist to blend into the celebrations and fire off a missile.

"You could probably arm a small army with what's in our back yards," she said, referring to the fireworks.

Queens Gazette: More 'Nays' From Queens For Mayor's 'Congestion' Plan...

Queens pols and businessmen greeted Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan announcement with loud cries of "no way". Meanwhile, a new study was released confirming that Queens would be the borough hardest hit under the proposed plan.

The initial Queens outcry to the mayor's announcement 11 days ago came from Borough President Helen Marshall and the Queens Chamber of Commerce, supported by Congressmember Anthony Weiner, State Senators Frank Padavan and Serphin Maltese, both Republicans and John Sabini, a Democrat; Assemblymember Catherine Nolan and City Councilmembers David Weprin and James Gennaro, all Democrats.

Last Sunday, the Daily News published an analysis of the plan, which showed Queens would be the hardest hit borough, Councilmembers John Liu (Flushing), Leroy Comrie (St. Albans) and Joseph Addabbo Jr. (Ozone Park), all Democrats, also called on the mayor to provide fast and affordable public transit to all city residents before his plan goes into effect.

Under the plan, cars would pay an $8 fee and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan south of 86th Street between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The measure is intended to drastically reduce pollution.

Liu, chair of the council Transportation Committee, said, "People drive to work in Manhattan primarily because they lack real transit options. To impose these fees on commuters without giving them feasible alternatives would be unfair."

He and members of his committee called for expanded bus service, increased access to commuter rail lines and high speed ferry service. These alternatives are to be provided at no more than a $4 fare each way.

The News analysis found that six community board areas in Queens were among the top 10 in the city from which the most Manhattan-bound motorists travel each day.

Board 7 in Northeast Queens topped the list with 8,700 vehicles going into Manhattan, Board 13 in Southeast Queens had 6,800 and Board 5 (Ridgewood, Maspeth Glendale, Middle Village and South Elmhurst) had 5,800.

Weiner, who's expected to run for mayor in 2009, bashed Bloomberg for his statement equating the congestion fee with the $12 one pays to see a movie.

The mayor's plan needs the state legislature's approval to go into effect. Opposition from Padavan and Maltese, both leaders in the Republican-controlled senate, does not bode well for the mayor's plan.

Queens Courier: Program to Increase Young Vols by Jessica Lyons...

Congressmember Anthony Weiner has proposed the creation of GothamCorps in an effort to increase the number of young adults who take part in volunteer service.

Weiner outlined the program’s details during the kickoff recruitment event for AmeriCorps Week.

The program would be open to people between the ages of 18 and 24 who maintained a B average while in high school. Also, they must have a parent who is a resident of the city or must have graduated from a city high school.

Participants will be required to give one year of volunteer service.

Under GothamCorps, cities will help decide where to use the volunteers. Weiner is also recommending that the mayor be given the discretion to decide on “one single challenge” for volunteers to work on. A third proposed improvement by Weiner is “city match,” where “AmeriCorps grants should be used to leverage additional local matching grants.”

Young adults who take part in the program will receive an AmeriCorps Education Award, which gives the volunteer about $4,725 to use towards college tuition or student loans, and “a second year of free tuition at a local public college.” Volunteers would also get an AmeriCorps Living Stipend, which will be for $12,000 in New York City.

GothamCorps is expected to cost $260 million each year.

“Young Americans have always been moved by a spirit of community,” Weiner said. “That ethos is strong in New York City today, and this program will tap the limitless energy of our young citizens.”

Carnarsie Courier: Weiner Announces More Changes Ahead For Gateway

In a "State of the National Park" speech last week at Floyd Bennett Field, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn & Queens) announced that $66 million worth of renovations have been completed or are underway in New York City's Gateway National Park since 1998, work to protect and improve its wetlands, wildlife refuge, nature trails, historic sites, playgrounds, recreation areas and more.

More than $6 million of that funding is earmarked for the restoration of the airfield's historic main terminal that now serves as the park's Ryan Visitor Center. The 76-year-old, three-story building's ground floor and atrium have been restored, but its upper floors are blemished with peeling paint and broken tiles.

Weiner and park superintendent Barry Sullivan met last winter and decided that the terminal's renovation would be a major priority.

The restoration would include transforming the former control tower installed by the Navy during World War II into a panoramic viewing spot overlooking the park to enhance the visitors' experience.

The Gateway National Recreation Area covers 19,000 acres along the New York and New Jersey coasts, more than all of New York City's parks combined. Gateway was visited by 4.1 million people last year, a 3.2 percent increase, making it the fourth most visited national park in the nation.

"It's easy to explain Gateway's popularity," Weiner said. "It's a place to explore historic Floyd Bennett Field and now home to a brand new world class family sports and recreation facility. Or to stroll along the beautiful beaches and sandy shorelines in Riis Park, Breezy Point and the Rockways. Or bicycle along a new greenway path while taking in one of the most scenic routes in Queens. Or to experience the natural wonders of Jamaica Bay and its fragile marshland, which is home to over 9,000 acres of waterways, and is one of the largest bird sanctuaries in the United States."

The Jamaica Bay and Breezy Point units of Gateway, which fall primarily in Brooklyn and Queens, extend from Plumb Beach to Jamaica Bay, from Howard Beach to Rockaway, comprising a remarkable natural resource, and a place where families can come to learn, experience the great outdoors, or just relax and have fun.

Since first being elected to Congress in 1998, Rep. Weiner has made sustaining Gateway, and improving its facilities a top priority. The funding has resulted in upgrades, such as facelifts for the Golf Center, Gateway Marina, the popular Riis Pitch & Putt golf course, Riis Landing, preserving the Wildlife Refuge, renourishing the beaches and wetlands and the rehabilitation of playing fields in Fort Tilden and the Riis Park Tot Lot.

Projects completed, underway or in the planning stages all across Gateway, include the following:

+Four of Floyd Bennett's eight hangars were transformed into a brand new, multi-use family sports and recreation facility, consisting of a variety of amenities for everyone, including outdoor playing fields for football and soccer, plus a food court.

+Weiner and park officials last year opened the 1.5 mile multiple use path that runs through the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, allowing visitors to bike, stroll, jog, rollerblade and bird watch along one of the most scenic routes in Queens. The path is a new link to the city's 350-mile Greenway system.

+Set to open this spring is the park's visitor facility that has been almost doubled in size and now includes a multi-purpose room for school groups and public lectures, display space and a variety of cutting edge energy efficient upgrades.

Weiner is also fighting for funds for Cricket Fields at Floyd Bennett Field. This project would be implemented through the existing partnership between the NPS and the Floyd Bennett Cricket Club. This funding would allow for construction of a clubhouse, bleachers, bathroom, commentary box, side screens, scoreboards, and a sprinkler system at the site of the current field.

"Though millions enjoy Gateway National Park every year, it's still one of New York City's best kept secrets," said Weiner. "These improvements will continue to fuel an ongoing renaissance at Gateway that will allow even more New Yorkers to enjoy the outdoors without leaving the Big Apple."

Newsday: City Pushes for Rockaways Ferry Service by Karla Schuster...

The city is once again floating the idea of running a ferry from the Rockaways to Lower Manhattan to reduce commuting times from one of the city's most remote neighborhoods.

"When you see what the traffic is just coming out here today, there's got to be a better way," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a news conference Tuesday on the boardwalk at Beach 126th Street.

"Ferry service for the Rockaways is not a new idea. ... The question was never 'should we do it?', but 'how can we do this?'"

A pilot weekend ferry service from the Rockaways in 2003 failed largely because of its high price - $26 each way. More recently, when transportation officials have sought Rockaway ferry proposals, there has been little or no interest.

This time, however, the city is willing to subsidize the service, at least at first, Bloomberg said. Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) estimated the subsidy would have to be at least $1 million per year to make the service attractive to a private ferry operator.

"You've got a population growth here like no other place in the city and it can support a ferry, if the deal is structured correctly," Addabbo said.

Transportation officials say they would like to keep the fare to $4 each way, the same price as express bus service into Manhattan. They envision the ferry going from Riis Landing to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan, although they expect private operators may propose other stops in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

The city's Economic Development Corporation on Wednesday will issue a call to private ferry operators, which will have six weeks to respond with their proposals for Rockaway service.

With the average commute from the Rockaways to Manhattan clocking in at between 90 minutes and two hours each way, residents say they hope this ferry plan sticks.

"Rockaway is a hidden jewel in New York City and we need to get better transportation here," said Mary Dever Kelly of the Rockaway Park Home and Residents Association.

"We've been the stepchild of the city when it comes to transportation for way too long."

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Huffington Post: C.O.P.S.: A Democratic Homeland Security Program by Rep Anthony Weiner...

No candidate for office can get elected nowadays without having a plan to keep their community safe from terrorism. And, while the administration in Washington and many of their partisans have raised the politics of fear to new heights, it doesn't diminish the need for Democrats to have a well thought out response to the question: "How do you keep us as safe as possible?"

Democrats faced a similar challenge in 1993 when asked about the rise in drug-fueled street crime.

Then, like now, Democrats were looked at skeptically by the electorate as being weak on crime. The infamous "Willy Horton" ads, which George H.W. Bush had used to sink Michael Dukakis' campaign for president in 1988, left voters with the impression that Democrats were incapable of tamping crime down.

But one term later, Democrats, lead by Bill Clinton, answered with the most far reaching and innovative federal anti-crime initiative ever -- the C.O.P.S. program. It did the most intuitive thing -- it hired more than 100,000 beat cops. It worked. It put police in every neighborhood, town and city. It brought crime down. And it changed the electorate's perception of Democrats.

Now the C.O.P.S. program is again the solution to the substantive challenge our nation faces and the political hurdles we as Democrats face in the wake of 9/11.

While President Bush has tried to use aid to state and local governments as a political trough, President Clinton ensured that every community benefited from the C.O.P.S. program. Sure, big cities like Chicago and L.A. hired officers with federal help. But so did small towns like Marengo, Illinois and Plano, Texas.

Republicans, despite adopting "tough on terror" rhetoric, have turned their backs on the state and local police and sheriffs who provide our first line of defense. In what can only be described as a double-whammy, they have not only left local law enforcement with more responsibility, they have cut the resources those local cops and deputies need to keep us safe. Let me explain.

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Earth Day Celebration at MS210Q - "The Burning Truth of the Climate Crisis: Answering the Call to Action"...

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Queens Courier: Fix it and they will come . .

$66 Million upgrade to Gateway National Park

BY TONIA N. CIMINO


Over the past nine years, nearly $66 million worth of renovations have been completed or are underway in New York City's Gateway National Park.

In a “State of the National Park" speech, Congressmember Anthony Weiner said that the upgrades would work to protect and improve its wetlands, wildlife refuge, nature trails, historic sites, playgrounds, recreation areas and more.

The funding has gone to facelifts for the Golf Center, Gateway Marina, the popular Riis Pitch & Putt golf course, Riis Landing, preserving the Wildlife Refuge, renourishing the beaches and wetlands and the rehabilitation of playing fields in Fort Tilden and the Riis Park Tot Lot.

"Though millions enjoy Gateway National Park every year, it's still one of New York City's best kept secrets," said Weiner. "These improvements will continue to fuel an ongoing renaissance at Gateway that will allow even more New Yorkers to enjoy the outdoors without leaving the Big Apple."

Just last summer, Weiner officially opened the 1.5 mile multiple-use path that runs through the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, allowing Gateway visitors to bike, stroll, jog, rollerblade and bird watch along one of the most scenic routes in Queens. The path expands the Rockaway Gateway Greenway, a 20-mile network of pathways around Jamaica Bay and is a new link to the city's 350-mile Greenway system.

As part of the restoration, Weiner unveiled an innovative $13 million Elders Point Island wetlands restoration project to save the marsh islands ecosystem in Jamaica Bay. The project pumped 270,000 cubic yards of sand and planted 900,000 plants to restore 24 acres at Elders Point East.

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