Queens Senate Debate On "Inside City Hall" Senator Joe Addabbo and Anthony Como - NY1.com - Part 2

The race to control the State Senate continues to heat up and Republicans hope to defeat a freshman senator from the 15th District in Queens, which includes: Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village and parts of Forest Hills. The two candidates in the race -- State Senator Joseph Addabbo and his Republican challenger Anthony Como -- debated on Friday's edition of "Inside City Hall."


Part 2 - 10:48

Queens Senate Debate On "Inside City Hall" Between State Senator Joseph Addabbo and Challenger Anthony Como - NY1.com - Part 1

The race to control the State Senate continues to heat up and Republicans hope to defeat a freshman senator from the 15th District in Queens, which includes: Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village and parts of Forest Hills. The two candidates in the race -- State Senator Joseph Addabbo and his Republican challenger Anthony Como -- debated on Friday's edition of "Inside City Hall."


Part 1 - 10:21

Jamaica Bay's Revival Begins with Mollusks by Gary Buiso - YourNabe.com

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Oysters, plants cleaning the plumbing like Ty-D-Bowl

Troubled Jamaica Bay is going from stinky to stunning!

Pilot projects using natural water cleansers such as oysters, and improvements to the sewer system are yielding tangible results, according to a report released by the city on Monday and — more important — those who live and play along the 39-square-mile bay.

“In the past, we would observe a plume of discolored water atop Paerdegat Basin [one of the bay’s inlets], and people would be driven from their patios because of the horrendous smell,” said John Wright, a board member of the Sebago Canoe Club. “We are very pleased to see the progress.”

The bay, part of the National Park Service, borders Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County, and includes approximately 142 square miles of meadowland, marshes, dunes and forests and open water — habitats that support 91 species of fish and 325 species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.

Humans, such as Wright, and his 220-member club will also be the beneficiaries of a cleaner bay, but there is still a long way to go before it’s as clean as it could be.

To that end, the Department of Environmental Protection has tweaked its Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection plan, focusing on upgrades to the wastewater treatment plants that dump approximately 300 million gallons of treated wastewater in the bay every day.

That water has a high concentration of nitrogen, which results in poor water quality that allows harmful algae to thrive. The algae diminish the bay’s oxygen, killing wildlife.

The city — compelled by law by the state to do so — announced that it would invest $115 million to improve the overall water quality and mitigate marshland loss in Jamaica Bay, the bulk of the money going to the installation of new nitrogen control technologies at the four wastewater treatment plants located on the bay. The money, along with $95 million taxpayers previously committed, will reduce nitrogen in the bay by nearly 50 percent by 2020.

Agency commissioner Cas Holloway said the mayor has made the restoration of the bay “a special priority” in the effort to improve harbor water quality throughout the region.

“We are on track to achieve the goals outlined in the [plan] that will substantially improve the overall quality of the bay’s ecology,” he said.

The report notes that the city has already planted 1,000 eelgrass marine plants as part of a $350,000 pilot program to evaluate the potential for establishing small beds, which are seen as beneficial to fish and mollusks; and restored 10,000 oysters to help filter excess nutrients from the water.

Queens Bus Driver William Allan Rescues Two-year-old Boy and his Infant Brother at 4 a.m by Tom Namako, Jennifer Bain, and Jamie Schram - NY Post

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An eagle-eyed Queens bus driver rescued a two-year-old boy when he spotted him shivering on the street at 4:00 a.m. wearing only underwear – and now police are searching for the apparent absentee mother and the child is in the city’s care.

Veteran bus operator William Allan, himself a father of two, stumbled upon the heartbreaking scene on Wednesday morning as he was starting his Q55 bus route.

Turning the corner on to 60th St. and Putnam Ave. in Ridgewood, he saw young Thomas Baginski, alone, confused, and scared as cars whizzed just feet away.

Allan said the sight shook him to the core.

"I pulled the bus over and got out - he reached his arms up to me, he wanted me to pick him up," he said. "He couldn’t even really move he was just so frozen cold."

As he held the boy, Allan called 911 and brought him on the bus. He shut the door and cranked up the heat, hoping to stave off any signs of hypothermia.

"He was sitting in the seat by the front door. The elevated train went by and he said ‘choo choo.’" Allan recalled.

"That’s the only thing he said – it touched me – I’ll always think of him now when I hear the train," he said.

The boy was so small, Allan said, he could have been hurt or abducted with little notice while on the streets alone.

"If he walked between cars, no one would see him," he said. "I won’t want to think about what would have happened."

Police arrived and scoured the area for open apartment building doors. They found one about a block away, and inside, the found an open apartment door.

Inside the room another young boy, Anthony Baginski, 1, was sleeping in a crib.

There were no adults around.

Police began walking up neighbors, trying to find a parent. One person called father Piotr Baginski, 33.

Baginski arrived 20 minutes later and told police that the children’s mother, Zuzanna, 24, told him just four hours before that she was with the children in the apartment, though she was apparently gone.

Police now have a warrant for the mother and are looking for her, and the kids are in the custody of the city’s Administration for Children’s Services.

Neighbors said the behavior at the apartment wasn’t new.

"Those kids are always running around outside naked," said Chhatwal Kishore, 34, who lives nearby.

"One time the boys were alone naked on the porch. The little one was about to fall off and I caught him," he said.

Other neighbors admitted they should have called police on the family, but, as Kishore said, "you don’t want to mess with someone’s kids."

"Thank God the bus driver found him," said Luz Chacon, who lives in the same apartment as Kishore.

Allan’s friends at the nearby Fresh Pond bus depot are calling him a hero.

"I may have prevented a tragedy," he said. "But I was just doing by job and using my observational skills. What made me look? I was trained to look in every direction."

Allan said he’s looking forward to seeing "the outcome of this."

President Bill Clinton Endorses Comptroller Tom DiNapoli

On Friday, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that President Bill Clinton had endorsed his candidacy for New York State Comptroller. Calling him "the reformer who gets results," President Clinton cited DiNapoli's integrity and vigorous work on behalf of New York's taxpayers in making his endorsement.

"As our Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli has been looking out for us, uncovering nearly $3 billion in waste, fraud and abuse.

Standing up to legislators of both parties who refuse to come together to pass a budget.

And refusing campaign contributions from anyone doing business with the State pension fund.

These are the kind of changes we need, so on Tuesday, November second, please make sure you vote all the way down column A, for State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the reformer who gets results."

"It is an honor to have President Clinton on my side in this year's election," said Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. "Having the support of the President for this campaign will resonate for millions of New Yorkers who want to keep moving our great State forward. This election is a choice, between the values of Main Street America that President Clinton stood for and that of Wall Street's values, for which my opponent Harry Wilson stands. I have cleaned up the office of Comptroller and it is a great boost to our campaign to have President Clinton speak out about the work I’ve done over these past years."

The DiNapoli 2010 campaign will share the endorsement from President Bill Clinton in a robocall to over one million New York homes.

With 11 days to go until Election Day, the DiNapoli 2010 campaign has begun releasing a series of targeted robocalls from noted supporters including Bill de Blasio, Carl McCall, and Ed Koch.

Senator Chuck Schumer Endorses Ed Braustein for Assembly

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On Tuesday, October 19, 2010, United States Senator Chuck Schumer endorsed Democrat Ed Braunstein, who is running for the State Assembly in the 26^th Assembly District which includes Bayside, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Little Neck, Douglaston, Floral Park and North Flushing.

“As a lifetime Bayside resident, attorney and Member of Community Board 11, Ed Braunstein has the experience and credentials that make him uniquely qualified to serve as the next Assemblyman from the 26^th District. Ed can be trusted to stand up for small business owners to get New York’s economy back on track and create good jobs for New Yorkers in Northeast Queens. I also know that Ed will work diligently to get our State’s fiscal house back in order while ensuring that funding for New York’s vital programs and services is not cut,” said Schumer.

“I am proud and honored to have the support of Senator Schumer” said Braunstein. “Chuck Schumer has stood up for taxpayers time and again and I hope to work side by side with him as the next Assemblymember from the 26^th District to ensure that Northeast Queens remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

Braunstein has also received the endorsements of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Congressman Gary Ackerman, New York City Comptroller John Liu, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Former Councilman Tony Avella, Councilman Mark Weprin, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, Queens Democratic Party, SEIU 32BJ, SEIU 1199, Uniformed Fire Officers Association, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, UFCW Local 1500, New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council, New York State Supreme Court Officers Association, Freelancers Union, Chairman of Community Board 11 Jerry Iannece, Former Democratic City Council Candidate Paul Vallone, Former Democratic City Council Candidate Kevin Kim, Former Democratic Assembly Candidate John Duane, Former Democratic Assembly Candidate Elio Forcina, Former Republican Assembly Candidate Rob Speranza and others.

For more information regarding Ed Braunstein’s campaign for the State Assembly in the 26^th District, please visitwww.braunsteinforassembly.com

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GOP Attorney General Candidate Daniel Donovan Relying on Controversial Figures by - NY Daily News

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GOP attorney general candidate Daniel Donovan is 'willing to do anything to get elected,' says Eric Schneiderman's camp.

GOP attorney general candidate Daniel Donovan has promised to clean up Albany - but he's relying on controversial figures Armand D'Amato and former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra to help him with a fund-raiser on Thursday.

D'Amato, brother of former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.), was convicted in 1993 of mail fraud, though the conviction was later reversed. And Giambra was investigated by then-state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer for pay-to-play shenanigans but was never charged.

Donovan spokeswoman Virginia Lam said the two work for the ex-senator, "who has been a great friend to the campaign." Rival Eric Schneiderman's camp blasted Donovan for being "willing to do anything to get elected."

Making Their Case Directly to the People by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

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Assemblyman Mike Miller, top left, and Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer face challenges from Republicans Donna Marie Caltabiano, top right, and Harold Paez. Voters will have to decide

Election season is in full swing, and several candidates in south Queens races made their pitch to voters at the Ozone Park Civic Association candidates night on Tuesday.

Some of the Republican and Democratic candidates for Assembly, state Senate and Congress shared their views with residents. Several of those running in local races did not attend the event.

In fact, the only race where voters got to hear from both candidates was in the 23rd Assembly District, where incumbent Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park) is facing Republican Harold Paez, a podiatrist who resides in the Rockaways.

Pheffer began by noting that many voters are frustrated that the state budget is often late, but she said in the case of this year’s, she and others in the Assembly did not agree with Gov. Paterson’s proposal and had to change parts of it.

“I couldn’t accept parts of the budget,” she said. “I won’t pass it just to say it’s on time.”

Pheffer cited the proposed tax on sugared soda drinks and cuts to the state Tuition Assistance Program as some of the governor’s plans that she didn’t agree with.

Pheffer also touted her constituent services efforts, saying her office will try and resolve any issue or problem a resident brings.

Pheffer said her legislative agenda reflects her commitment to helping the average resident, noting a bill she helped craft that provides for stricter penalties for identity theft.

Pheffer also praised the selection of Genting New York LLC to redevelop Aqueduct Racetrack into a dining and entertainment facility with 4,500 video lottery terminals.

Paez told the audience that he is running for Assembly because he wants to bring a significant change to the “dysfunctional” way Albany operates.

Paez noted the $9 billion state deficit as proof of the legislature’s reckless spending.

“That is not a good position for any state to be in,” he said.

Paez said despite being in one of the worst economic times since the Great Depression, the state government still had spending increases the last two years.

Paez said he supports a cap on property taxes, and pledged to vote against any new taxes if elected.

The candidate said he supports instituting more charter schools in the city, something he believes the legislature “was forced to do” in order to receive federal funds for the Race to the Top program.

Paez also took aim at Pheffer’s 20 years of service in the Assembly. He supports term limits and said his opponent has been part of the Albany culture for too long.

“I want to bring some common sense back to Albany,” he said. “We have to have the strength of will to change what is wrong.”

Also speaking at the event were state Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who is facing a challenge from Republican Anthony Como.

Addabbo said the state has been through “two tough years” since his election to the Senate, but was proud that the legislature did not raise property taxes during that time.

“I was given a charge to cut the spending, and that’s what we are doing,” he said.

Addabbo also touted the Aqueduct project, and said he doesn’t think the racino will lead to an increase in crime in the area.

Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Glendale) told those in attendance that he is a “24-hour assemblyman” whose office is always open any time to a constituent with a problem.

Miller touted several pieces of legislation he has introduced, including one that would prevent registered sex offenders from working with children in any capacity.

Congressional candidate Asher Taub, a Republican challenging Democrat Greg Meeks in the 6th CD, said the number one issue facing the country is the federal budget deficit.

He said it is caused by borrowing on the part of the federal government since the 1930s, a trend that must stop.

Taub took aim at the healthcare reform law passed this year, which he termed “a disaster.”

His proposed ideas to reduce healthcare costs include changing the current law for medical malpractice actions so doctors can be sued only for gross negligence, not under the standard for recklessness. He said that it would cause doctors’ insurance premiums to significantly drop, and, coupled with reduction of unnecessary and expensive medical tests, could reduce health care expenditures by a significant margin.

NYPD Expands Ticket-fixing Probe, Now Eyeing Queens and Manhattan Too by Alison Gendar and Rocco Parascandola - NY Daily News

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An internal probe of alleged ticket-fixing by Bronx cops has expanded to Queens and Manhattan, police sources said Thursday.

Records were pulled this week from the 106th and 107th Precincts in Ozone Park and Fresh Meadows, along with a highway unit in Queens. The Internal Affairs Bureau also seized records from the 26th Precinct stationhouse in Morningside Heights and the 32nd Precinct stationhouse in Harlem.

It wasn't immediately clear if IAB investigators are focusing on particular officers or if the inquiry is broader in scope.

The Daily News reported Tuesday that Deputy Inspector John D'Adamo, commanding officer of the Bronx's 52nd Precinct in Bedford Park-Norwood, has been accused of fixing tickets for his friends and relatives.

"He is mortified that his good name and excellent reputation has been associated with these allegations," said Roy Richter, head of the Captains Endowment Association, the union representing D'Adamo.

Sources said D'Adamo's name surfaced in a probe that started nearly a year ago and was connected to allegations that an officer in the 40th Precinct in Mott Haven was involved with a local drug dealer. That officer has since been placed on modified duty but has not been arrested or slapped with departmental charges.

Investigators are also looking into allegations that at least one Patrolmen's Benevolent Association delegate from the Bronx has been involved in fixing tickets.

Last month, the IAB started an audit of ticket activity in all 12 Bronx precincts. That included parking tickets, moving violations and summonses for quality of life issues. More records were pulled yesterday from Bronx borough headquarters.

Wills Outraises Paultre-Bell by Ivan Pereira - YourNabe.com

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Ex-Huntley staffer nets near $51K in race for White council seat

Ruben Wills has a major financial lead over Sean Bell’s fiancee, his chief rival for late City Councilman Thomas White’s vacated seat, who has raised roughly $6,000 for her bid, campaign finance records show.

Although major groups and other elected officials, such as the Rev. Al Sharpton, City Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton) and U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica), have been throwing their support behind Nicole Paultre-Bell, only 15 individuals have given her money for her campaign, according to the city Campaign Fiance Board.

Wills — who has the backing of his former boss, state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica); Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans); and state Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Jamaica) — has the financial backing of 157 contributors and is the only candidate in the race to receive matching public finds, campaign finance records show.

So far, he has collected a total of $50,921, with the largest donation of $1,375 from Local 1182, the union that represents traffic enforcement agents, according to campaign finance records. Wills has spent more than $7,000 on his campaign, with the largest outlays going to former state Sen. Martin Connor, who has been paid $1,500 to act as his attorney, according to the records.

Paultre-Bell, was given the green light to appear on the Nov. 2 ballot by a city Board of Elections judge last week, following a challenge to her petitions by Wills.

So far, she has received more than $6,000 in contributions, with the largest donation coming from New Jersey physician Christopher Kyriakides, who gave her campaign $1,350, Campaign Finance Board records show. All of her other donations are from single individuals and her attorney, Sanford Rubenstein, so far, according to the records. Paultre-Bell has spent $3,185 for her bid as of this week, including $3,000 to Oakland Gardens resident Jesus Ocasio to help with her signature petitioning, according to the Campaign Finance Board.

Albert Baldeo, who ran unsuccessfully for White’s seat in 2005, has more than $46,000 in his campaign coffers, with $27,000 coming from loans and nearly $4,000 coming out of his own pocket, according to the board. So far he has spent more than $19,000 on his current bid for office, including $3,350 to a political voter file vendor known as Prime New York for voter data, campaign finance records show.

Alan Jennings, who held the seat until he was censured by the City Council and forced out in the 2005 Democratic primary, has raised more than $7,000, with the largest contribution coming from a retired Jamaica resident named Norma Taylor, who gave him $1,375, campaign finance records show. He has spent more than $4,276 on his bid, including $590 that was given to Omar McClain for help in gathering petition signatures.

Harpreet Toor has raised more than $9,000 for his campaign, including a $1,001 donation from South Richmond Hill resident Prem Singh, based on the records. He has spent more than $6,000 on his campaign, including a $2,000 expenditure for voter data from the New York Public Affairs Group.

Charles Bilal has raised a total of $370 from $10 donations from 37 individuals, according to campaign finance records. He has not listed any expenditures for the race, campaign finance records show.

Although the city Board of Elections lists Martha Butler as a candidate for the race, there are no campaign finance listings for her as of press time Tuesday.

Alleged Rapist Trapped by Cops After Texting Victim to Ask Her for a Date by Thomas Zambito AND Corky Siemaszko - NY Daily News

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Mug shot of accused rapist Timothy West, who was arrested after texting the woman he allegedly atacked.

A nervy Queens woman Wednesday described how she hatched a plan to capture the man who raped her twice after he asked for her number.

"I was hoping that he would call," the 21-year-old victim testified as her alleged attacker sat 15 feet away from her in Queens Supreme Court. "If he would call, I could set him up with the police."

Timothy West texted her instead and by nightfall he was in police custody.

The 21-year-old Applebee's waitress looked at West only once to identify him.

Then, in a calm voice, she recounted a three hour ordeal that began when West broke into her Ozone Park home through a kitchen window at 1:30 a.m. on March 20, 2009.

While West watched intently, the woman testified she was sleeping when he invaded her bed armed with a butcher knife he swiped from her kitchen and told her to be quiet. She said he wore a condom when he raped her the first time.

Afterward, she said, "He felt comfortable enough to tell me a little bit about himself."

While West rambled, the woman said she was thinking about how to escape without endangering her mother and brother, who were upstairs asleep in their bedrooms.

"As we're talking I was still planning on what to do next, to get him out of my house," she testified.

"I tried to keep it calm. I didn't want to show him I was in fear. I didn't know what he was capable of."

When West demanded more sex, the woman said she pleaded with him not to rape her again. She said he brandished a folding knife and attacked her again. This time he did not wear a condom, she said.

"I was wondering what was going to happen next," she said.

When West finished, the woman said he demanded food and she led him to the kitchen, where he went straight for the liquor.

It was then, she said, that West asked for her number.

"Maybe we can be friends or something?" West said, according to the woman.

Later, when detectives were questioning her, the woman said West texted her a two word message, "Call me."

The woman said she called West and left a message. He called her back from his sister's home in Corona and cops recorded their conversation.

West apologized for raping the woman and arranged to meet her at a Dunkin Donuts in Corona at 10 p.m. that night - and walked right into a trap, police say.

West, whose rap sheet includes arrests for robbery and burglary, insists the sex was consensual. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Freshman Addabbo Seeks Another Term in Albany by Peter Mastrosimone - Queens Chronicle

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State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) believes in reforming New York’s state government, something he says has been a priority in the nearly two years he has served in Albany.

Addabbo is hoping voters of the 15th Senate District send him back to the state capital for another term to continue that work.

“I see myself as part of the solution in Albany, not part of the problem,” Addabbo said during a meeting with the Queens Chronicle editorial board last week.

Addabbo is squaring off against Republican Anthony Como, an attorney who had briefly served in the City Council.

After serving eight years in the council, Addabbo beat 10-term incumbent Republican Serphin Maltese in 2008 for the 15th District seat.

Addabbo said he was motivated to leave his council post to pursue election to the state Senate due to his disappointment in the way state government was run.

“I felt the need to go to Albany and make a change,” he said. “We should have a state government that is looked on with envy, not laughter.”

Addabbo points to several reform-minded measures the state Legislature has adopted as proof that progress is being made, including one to make it easier for a member of the minority party to introduce legislation and more transparency in how members allocate state funds. He also noted that the state’s spending increase this year is lower than the rate of inflation; only the fourth time in 30 years that has been accomplished in Albany.

Still, Addabbo believes more can be done. He pointed out that some members of the state Legislature are resistant to reform, noting that he has introduced 13 pieces of legislation dealing with campaign finance reform since he has been elected with eight of them being killed in committee.

Addabbo knows New York’s high taxes are foremost on the minds of voters, and to that end he supports a property tax cap of some kind.

“It’s a necessity for the middle class,” he said. “We want people to stay in New York City.”

Regarding the soon-to-begin Aqueduct racino project, Addabbo said that he pushed for Genting New York, the company redeveloping the old race track, to provide its own private security to patrol the area so the 106th Precinct wouldn’t be stretched too thin.

“I’ve had meetings with them to ensure the area around Aqueduct is safe,” he said.

Regarding jobs at the new facility, Addabbo said it is written in the memorandum of understanding between Genting and the state that the community would get the “lion’s share” of the jobs available.

“It’s a project that will directly impact our community, so our community should benefit the most from it,” Addabbo said, while noting that Genting has also pledged to donate 1 percent of its net profits to as yet unspecified community groups.

When asked about the legislation he was most proud of, Addabbo pointed to a bill he co-authored to halt hydrofracking in upstate watersheds, and one that would give non-combat cold war veterans the same property tax break that combat veterans receive.

Addabbo also noted Leandra’s Law, a state law making it an automatic felony on the first offense to drive drunk with a person under the age of 15 inside a vehicle, as another one he was instrumental in forming.

“I’m very proud about helping to create that bill,” he said.

Addabbo said his charge is to represent the interests of the residents of the 15th District, and not to appease party leaders or special interest groups.

“I’m compassionate about the people issues,” he said. “I answer to my constituents, not the lobbyists.”

Forget the New Cars, Thieves also Targeting Older Vehicles as Thefts are Up by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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When car thieves prowl the streets of Queens, they aren't just looking for shiny sports cars.

They are also targeting work vans and broken down sedans that sit in driveways, police officials said Tuesday.

"Forty percent of stolen cars citywide are older vehicles," said Assistant Chief James Secreto, commander of Patrol Borough Queens South.

"They are easier to steal," Secreto told Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and community board district managers yesterday during a meeting at Borough Hall. "They are heavier when they take them to the [scrap] yards to crush them and get top dollar."

Recent statistics show that vehicle thefts are up more than 14% in southern Queens precincts and 9% in northern Queens during the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year.

Assistant Chief Diana Pizutti, commander of Patrol Borough Queens North who attended the meeting, conceded that grand larceny auto is "rearing its ugly head again."

In 1990, more than 50,000 grand larceny auto thefts were reported in the borough. Last year, the number was closer to 3,300.

Secreto said many of the thefts are taking place in the 105th Precinct, which includes Queens Village, Cambria Heights and Springfield Gardens, as well as the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park.

One of the popular targets has been Ford Econoline vans, he said, because of its weight.

Two weeks ago, cops nabbed a 24-year-old man suspected of stealing more than two dozen vans in Queens and Brooklyn and selling them to a Long Island scrap yard.

"Stolen car arrests are up 78%," he said. "We're making a lot of arrests and doing some initiatives."

That includes tracking bogus vehicle ownership paperwork used at scrap yards.

Even battered cars parked for months in driveways aren't safe, they said.

Disabled vehicles - even those tagged by the Sanitation Department for removal - have been stolen by people using tow trucks, Secreto said.

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis Fired (updated) by Casey Seiler - Capitol Confidential

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Pete Grannis, the commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation since 2007, was fired Thursday by Gov. David Paterson. A state source said it was due to “poor performance and insubordination.”

A front-page story in Tuesday’s Times Union described one likely cause: the leak of a memo sent by DEC to the Budget Division that laid out in stark terms the possible consequences of the planned layoffs of more than 200 agency employees.

The unsigned, undated memo warned that fewer polluted sites would be cleaned up, fewer regulators would be available to oversee the potential natural gas drilling boom in the Marcellus Shale, and stocking of game fish could halt.

In order to avoid cuts to programs that protect human health or address immediate environmental damage, the memo suggests the most logical places for deep cuts would be outdoor recreation and sports — including skiing, fishing, hunting, camping and hiking.

“Many of our programs are hanging by a thread. The public would be shocked to learn how thin we are in many areas,” the memo stated. “DEC is in the weakest position that it has been since it was created 40 years ago.”

Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook confirmed the dismissal but would not comment. DEC spokesman Yancey Roy also declined comment.

A long-serving former Assembly member from Manhattan, Grannis was appointed to the top job in DEC by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2007. Grannis’ bio on the DEC’s website notes that he began his career in public service at the agency in the early 1970s, when he worked as a compliance counsel.

Update: In an interview Thursday night with TU environmental reporter Brian Nearing — who wrote the article on the leaked memo — Grannis said that Larry Schwartz, the governor’s top aide, called him about 4 p.m. Wednesday to demand his resignation over the memo becoming public.

”Here I am being called on the carpet for doing what we were supposed to do, for being asked to tell the administration what the cuts they want meant,” Grannis said. “Apparently facts don’t sit well with this administration.”

Grannis protested that the memo was not leaked with his knowledge, and left two telephone messages with Paterson, one Wednesday evening and another Thursday morning, seeking a chance to make his case. “Larry Schwartz said the governor would not talk to me,” Grannis said.

Calling Schwartz a “hatchet man” and a “thug,” Grannis released a harsh email exchange between himself and Schwartz during Wednesday and Thursday.

In one email, Schwartz wrote, “Avoiding me is not going to change the outcome. Either you cooperate with regards to your resignation or a release will go out saying you have resigned by the end of the day. All the calls that you are having people make is not going to change the decision. You can either do this in a cooperative fashion or a hostile fashion. That is up to you.”

Schwartz followed that with an email that stated, “It’s unfortunate that you have not contacted me tonight as we discussed in my office earlier today. This is to remind you that you are not to report to work tomorrow. If I don’t hear back from you by 10am tomorrow a press release will go out without your input. Failure to comply with this request and what I discussed with you today will result in your immediate termination tomorrow morning and the press release will reflect that.”

Grannis countered on Thursday:

In response to your ultimatums (set forth below), I will not resign from my position. As you know, I would have liked to discuss this with Governor Paterson directly, and was surprised that you would not permit me to speak with him. Your suggestion that I am being fired because a memo outlining the consequences of further cuts to DEC (which I was asked to provide), leaked to the press, is absurd. I’m not concerned about the threat in your note that this will move forward in a “hostile fashion.”

Grannis said Schwartz was using him “as a very convenient excuse” after a number of environmental groups and others began calling Paterson’s office after the layoff memo became public. He said he was not sure what he was going to do next, but he did note that because he was fired, that state ethics laws prohibiting his appearance before agencies that he was involved with as DEC commission would not apply.