Holding Our Breath - Editorial on Marriage Equality Bill - Queens Tribune

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First and foremost – we thank and congratulate Sens. Shirley Huntley and Joe Addabbo for changing their position on gay marriage. The two were the only remaining Queens Democrats who had previously voted against gay marriage; this week they said they changed their minds. Yes, we recognize that they perceived the issue to be in opposition of their constituents, and we are glad to see that the people they represent spoke up in great numbers to convince them to change their position.


We certainly realize that this is not a fait accompli. As of printing, there were only 31 Senators committed to voting in favor of granting members of the LGBT community the right to marry one another; 32 are needed, and a vote was expected by Friday.

This newspaper has taken great pride in championing what we feel is the basic equality of civil rights for all New Yorkers. If, indeed, the measure does pass, it will be a historic day in New York – and one of celebration here in Queens, home to one of the largest organized gay communities on the East Coast.

We patiently await the vote of the Senate. Do the right thing. We all should be equal.

DC #37 Lobby Day with Senator Shirley Huntley

On May 3, 2011 Senator Huntley met with many members of District Council 37 (DC 37) in her Albany office and at the convention center. Senator Huntley has supported the hardworking efforts of DC 37 and the millions of middle to working class people who are a part of the group. DC 37 spoke with Senator Huntley about legislation and other pending bills that would be very controversial or have their football spirit.

Some of the issues DC 37 supports include a wide range of topics. Renewal of Rent regulation was very important to members due the fact that there is a housing crunch in New York City for affordable housing. They also support restarting New York City Off-Tracking Betting to bring more jobs and revenue to the communities they live in. Most of the DC 37 members supported extended the Personal Income Tax surcharge. They felt everyone had to pay their fair share, but the wealthiest New Yorkers were not doing so and wanted them to be charged more.

The bills DC 37 did oppose included the Last In, First Out and New York City Property Tax Cap.

Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Aim at Republicans [Updated] by Azi Paybarah - | The New York Observer

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Same-sex marriage advocates, who have been coordinating their efforts with Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, announced they're bringing their Republican counterparts into the fold.

"We are thrilled to have Log Cabin Republicans join the coalition" said Brian Ellner of the Human Rights Campaign.

What impact they will have on Republicans—many of whom voted against the bill two years ago in the State Senate— is unclear.

A spokesman for the Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos said it's not clear when a vote on this will take place. Cuomo reportedly wanted a vote by June.

"Senator Skelos makes it a point to meet with advocates on both sides of this and every other issue," Skelos spokesman Scott Reif emailed me to say. "At the appropriate time, the conference will discuss whether or not this bill should come to the floor this session."

One Republican who may be changing his vote is State Senator James Alesi of Monroe county. He "agonized" over the issue right before voting no, back in 2009. Now he is saying he's undecided. Democrats from Queens who voted no - Joe Addabbo and Shirley Huntley - are also reconsideringthe issue.

Update: Ellner elaborates. "It's clear we are going to need a bi-partisan coalition to get this passed" he said in a brief interview just now. His coalition, and the Log Cabin Republicans will be "sharing resources and relationships and intelligence" which "did not happen in the past."

In 2009, only 24 State Senators voted to legalize same-sex marriage. Currently, 26 state senators are on the record saying they'll vote for it. Advocates estimate they'll need a handful of Republicans to cross over and support the measure. An April 11 Siena poll said Republican voters were "nearly evenly divided" on the issue.

Senator Shirley Huntley Session Remarks on Resolution J993 Honoring Thomas White, Jr.

Senator Shirley Huntley session remarks on Resolution J993 Paying tribute to the life and accomplishments  of Thomas White, Jr., a distinguished citizen and a devoted member of his community.

Noose Found Hanging Outside Apt Building, Near School by Francesca Maxime - WPIX

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It's a disturbing reminder of hate, in Howard Beach. A noose was found hanging from a tree outside an apartment complex, and right near Walter Ward elementary school, Wednesday. The noose was not on school property, however.


People who live in the Lindenwood section of Howard Beach were surprised to learn someone had hung a noose in this day and age. One mother who'd lived in the neighborhood for 46 years said she was 'shocked,' and concerned because her son attends Walter Ward. Another resident said that while the neighborhood had experienced racial tensions int he past, he thought people living in this diverse area, now got along.


Senator Shirley Huntley had this to say about the incident: 'We know all too well that symbols of hatred fuel an atmosphere of intolerance and anger that can endanger lives. That is why it is disturbing to hear that a noose was hung from a tree near a public school in Lindenwood. I am outraged by this evil display. It is a painful reminder of the darkest chapters in our nation's history and proof that we must remain vigilant.'


Senator Huntley also thanked area police officers, for investigating the incident as a possible hate crime."

Former Gay Marriage “No” Votes Addabbo And Huntley Now Undecided by Laura Nahmias - City Hall News

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As Gov. Andrew Cuomo met with marriage equality activists on Wednesday, former no-voter State Sen. Jim Alesi announced he was now “undeclared” on the issue.

He is not the only one. State Sen. Joe Addabbo—whose “no” vote at the beginning of the roll-call in 2009 has been tagged by some as setting off a domino effect of “no” votes that led to the bill’s failure—said he is back on the fence as well.

“You can probably be listing me as undeclared. I mentioned to pro-marriage equality groups and those in my district, I’m going to talk to the people in my district and get a consensus on where they are,” Addabbo said. “I have actually said we’ll make a better effort this time, to get a more clear idea of where the constituents are.”

There were 24 yes votes in 2009, and with the various changes from the 2010 elections, there are now 26.

Addabbo was one of eight Democrats who voted no on the measure two years ago, along with State Sens. Ruben Diaz Sr., Darrel Aubertine, Shirley Huntley, Carl Kruger, Hiram Monserrate, George Onorato and Bill Stachowski. Aubertine, Monserrate, Onorato and Stachowski are no longer in Albany. Kruger, who also voted against the bill, is reportedly turning himself in to the U.S. Attorney on possible corruption charges, leaving unclear where he will be if and when a new vote is called on gay marriage.

State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. is still a no, and an ardent one.

“How can the issue of homosexual marriage demand the governor’s attention at this critical time when we are supposed to be dealing with the Budget to protect the poor and the needy?” Diaz said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.

That leaves State Sen. Shirley Huntley. The Queens Democrat once said she would not vote for the bill even if someone were to give her a million dollars, avoided that kind of rhetoric when asked for her stance on the measure Wednesday evening.

“I don’t have any thoughts,” she said. “I’m thinking about the budget and senior centers in my district. When it comes up, I’ll think about it.”

For years, marriage equality advocates have said that several Republican Senators might be willing to vote yes on the issue if enough Democrats supported it. Possible swing votes were once thought to be State Sens. John Bonacic, John Flanagan, Betty Little, Joe Robach, Kemp Hannon and Ken LaValle.

But they do not seem to be swinging yet.

A spokesperson for Bonacic said “he voted no on it in 2010 and we don’t see a change in that position right now.”

Similarly, a spokesperson for Sen. Betty Little, who also voted no, said the Senator’s position “had not changed.”

Attempts to reach Sens. Flanagan, Robach, Hannon and LaValle were unsuccessful.

Greg Angelo, chairman of the New York Log Cabin Republicans, said, “I can say what we’ve always said. Republicans will vote yes if there are enough Democrats in favor of the bill. We’re still working closely with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on this.”

Skelos last year pledged to bring the issue up for a vote again, though he remains a no himself.

Republican State Sen. Mark Grisanti’s position remains unclear, even after being called out by Lady Gaga over the weekend for his position on gay marriage, while she played a concert in his district.

Music fans noted that she is set to play a concert in LaValle’s district, at the Nassau Coliseum, in late April.


-- with additional reporting by Chris Bragg

Senator Shirley Huntley Talks About Eating Disorder Prevention...

Senator Shirley Huntley holds Press Conference for Eating Disorder Prevention.

Senate Democrats, NYC Elected Officials, and Housing Advocates Call For Renewal and Strengthening of Rent Regulations to be Included in SFY 2011-12 Budget

Sen. Espaillat, Senate Dems, NYC Elected Officials, & Housing Advocates Call For Renewal and Strengthening of Rent Regulations to be Included in SFY 2011-12 Budget

With rent regulation laws that protect over 1 million units of affordable housing in New York City dangerously close to expiring, Senator Adriano Espaillat was joined by his Senate colleagues, City elected officials, and over 150 advocates to call for the immediate extension and expansion of tenant protections.

To prevent the expiration of rent regulations and the most significant “tenant tax” in the history of New York, which could force over a million New Yorkers from their homes, Senate Democrats are calling for Sen. Espaillat’s omnibus tenant protection bill (S.2783-A) to be included in the SFY 2011-12 budget. The laws governing rent regulation are set to expire on June 15, 2011. Between 1994 and 2010, it is estimated that over 300,000 units of affordable housing were removed from rent regulation.

“Raising rents on middle-class and poor families that are already struggling in this tough economy is tantamount to a crushing tax that will drive New Yorkers from their homes,” said Senator Adriano Espaillat, Ranking Democrat on the Senate Housing Committee That’s why I have introduced legislation strengthening rent control and other crucial regulations that protect tenants and stabilize communities across New York. As elected officials, leaders, and grassroots activists, we stand united in fighting to preserve the millions of homes that might be lost if rent regulations are allowed to expire on June 15th.”

Mary Tek, spokesperson for the Real Rent Reform campaign, said, “We thank Senator Espaillat for recognizing that our current, weakened rent laws have resulted in the loss of over 300,000 affordable homes for New York’s families. We need real rent reform that not only renews rent protections, but also strengthens them by repealing vacancy destabilization. Without these steps, over 1 million families face unsustainable rent hikes leading to increased homelessness, destabilized communities, and the further erosion of New York’s economy.”

Senate Democratic Conference Leader John L. Sampson said, “To maintain our communities, grow our businesses, and keep middle-class families in their homes, we must extend and expand tenant protections. If rent regulations expire over a million New Yorkers could be driven from their homes by a devastating tenant tax. Including tenant protections in the budget process will safeguard tenants and stop an affordable housing crisis from crippling New York.

New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said, “These laws are the only thing standing between our city and the largest affordable housing crisis in this country’s history. If we don’t act here and now, hundreds of thousands of working and middle class families could lose their homes. We must live up to our historic responsibility to keep the more than million apartments under threat affordable.”

Key Components of S. 2783- A/ Espaillat:

• Repeals vacancy destabilization and re-regulates most of the apartments that have been lost through this loophole in the last two decades.
• Allows New York City and suburban municipalities to bring former Mitchell-Lama and Section 8 buildings under rent stabilization.
• Reduces the statutory vacancy bonus from 20% to 10%.
• Reforms preferential rent loophole that enables landlords to increase stabilized rents by hundreds of dollars when tenants renew their leases.
• Reforms the provision that allows landlords to empty entire buildings by claiming they need more than one unit for themselves or their family members.
• Reforms the Major Capital Improvement (MCI) program by making rent surcharges temporary and which end when the landlord has recovered the cost of the improvement.
• Reforms the Individual Apartment Improvement (IAI) program by reducing the monthly rent increase from 1/40th to 1/60th of the cost of the improvement.
• Adjusts high-income deregulation thresholds to more accurately represent inflation.
• Repeals the Urstadt Law which would restore home rule powers over rent and eviction legislation to the City of New York.

Ana Maria Archila, Executive Director, Make the Road Action Fund, said, “Immigrant renters in New York City confront serious challenges finding safe, decent, and affordable housing. The deregulation of thousands of rent regulated housing units has been disastrous for immigrants, drastically cutting the supply of affordable housing in our communities. We cannot wait any longer. We must repeal vacancy decontrol this year."

With 14 Gone, Shirley Huntley Tops List Of Senate Democrats’ Staffer Layoffs by Chris Bragg and Laura Nahmias - City Hall News

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Most Democrats have had to lay off a staffer or two in the transition from the majority to minority party in the Senate.

Then there is State Sen. Shirley Huntley, of Queens, who has lost nearly three quarters of her staff. According to a comparison of recent Senate payroll records to those released on Friday, Huntley lost 14 of her 23 staffers. These represent the latest, and most sizable to date, round of Senate Democratic payroll cuts last month.

Though far from the Senate leadership, Huntley had one of the largest payrolls. Now, Huntley said, she was scrounging for money to try and hire a few part-time employees to attend community board meetings and other events.

She blamed the Senate Republicans for her and her staff’s plight.

“All I can say is that we were nicer to them than they were to us,” Huntley said. “These are people who weren’t involved in politics—it was a job. Now a lot of people are unemployed and they have no place to go. I don’t know what they’re going to do.”

Huntley paid nearly $34,000 to the 23 staffers in the first two weeks of January, which translates to a rate of about $879,000 annually. Huntley now has a payroll just over $8,000 every two weeks—a rate which translates to $208,000 annually.

Now in the minority, Democrats have been asked to trim their total payroll from about $40 million to $27 million. Each senator is being asked to get individual payroll costs to $350,000. For senators who had smaller staffs to begin with, that translated into fewer cuts.

Huntley insisted, though, that each and every staffer had been needed.

“Some people have larger staffs, and some people don’t care about staffs. I have 300-some thousand constituents and my staff served all parts of the district,” Huntley said.

Minority Leader John Sampson had 24 staff members before the transition and now has 15, not including central staff. The Senate Democrats were forced to cut 130 positions total.

Even some of the Senate Democrats’ higher profile staffers have been let go. Tom Connolly, the Independence Party vice-chair, is gone from the payroll of State Sen. Carl Kruger. Connolly had been with Kruger’s office since 2007, when then-Majority Leader Joe Bruno gave the Brooklyn Democrat the chairmanship of the Social Services Committee. Jason Koppel, the chief of staff for Kruger, confirmed the departure.

Connolly did not return a phone call seeking comment.

But not all Democrats have had to cut back. State Sen. Jeff Klein, who is part of the four-member breakaway Independent Democratic Conference, before the transition had 19 staffers and a bi-weekly payroll of $34,600. Now, Klein has two fewer staffers, but his bi-weekly payroll has actually jumped by more than $1,000 a month.

When the Democrats took the majority in 2008, the Republicans had to make cuts also, but Democrats note that they allowed GOP staffers until April 1 to leave the payroll.

Democrats are still hoping the GOP majority conference will decide to equally allocate resources, although a measure introduced to equally allocate resources in the senate Rules committee was voted down last week. Adding to the Democrats’ problems is their overspending while in the majority, including on 56 different employees for former State Sen. Pedro Espada, according to payroll records.

The Senate Democrats will have to make another round of cuts if the GOP does not allocate more resources to the conference.

“We’ve made significant payroll reductions to bring spending down to appropriate levels,” said Austin Shafran, the spokesman for the Senate Democrats. “Further reductions are ongoing, and greatly depend on whether the Republicans will be as equitable with resources.

Protecting Mental Health Services by Shirley L. Huntley - New York State Senator

Tucson’s Lesson: Protecting Mental Health Services

The tragedy in Tucson, Arizona will go down in history as one of our nation’s darkest days. Since then, many across the political spectrum have spoken out on the need to tone down the partisan political rhetoric throughout the nation and enhance the nation’s gun control enforcement. However, as the nation searches for answers, the tragedy sheds light on a more immediate concern in our society that has been habitually ignored: the state of our mental health system.

By all accounts, Jared Loughner was the epitome of the weaknesses in our mental health system: a troubled youngster, struggling to express his emotions in a perplexing society. He was banned from his college classroom until he could prove he was not a physical threat to himself, or anyone else. Think about that – an institution of higher learning recognized the serious need for mental health services and yet those services were unused. How did our mental health care delivery system reach such a point?

Sadly, with no alternative outlet, and no professional help, Loughner spiraled into his own dark world and turned to violence.

We cannot forget: for every person like Loughner who couldn’t be – or weren’t – helped there are tens of thousands of individuals that can. However, they will only receive access to the services they need if we foster an environment that encourages the restoration and repair of the mental health system in both

New York and the nation.

Fixing a Broken System

Michael Fitzpatrick, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), recently said, “The mental-health-care ‘system’ in America is a broken system.” Mr. Fitzpatrick’s assessment could not be more precise.

Frederick Douglass once remarked how it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. Access to mental health professionals at an early age can be of tremendous help to suffering individuals, and a study done by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has reported that half of all cases of mental illness appear by the age of 14, and 75 percent by age 24.

Furthermore, less than a quarter of the mentally ill get the care they need; and presently, there is an egregious lag time of nearly 9 years between the onset of mental illness and when the individual receives treatment. And in New York only 61 percent of children 2-17 with emotional, developmental, or behavioral problems received mental health care in 2007.

In the past two years the Senate Democrats worked extremely hard at improving New York’s mental health services. We passed an extension of Kendra’s Law and also passed groundbreaking legislation that changed insurance law to protect children with autism, setting the bar for a new national standard for treatment and services. Also, we were able to provide adequate funding for mental health services in last year’s budget, something that we must do again this year.

Making the Difficult Decisions

New Yorkers understand all too well that difficult decisions and tough cuts need to be made to lower state spending and balance our budget. But we must cut with care.

The duty of a public official is to protect our most vulnerable and provide a voice to the voiceless. We must remember why we are here and who needs us to fight for them. The stakes are high, and these services are critical to the well-being of all New Yorkers. We cannot continue to overlook how essential mental health services are until an event rattles the nation and then decide they are important.

Senator Huntley currently serves as Ranking Member for the Senate Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. She represents the 10^th Senate District based in South East Queens. She was recently overwhelmingly elected to her third term in the State Senate.

Education Town Hall on January 13th at PS 30Q

Stop the School Closings - Education Town Hall on January 13th at PS 30 126-10 Bedell Street Sponsored by State Senator Shirley Huntley, Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, City Council Member Leroy Comrie and City Council Member Ruben Wills

What: Education Town Hall

When: January 13th

Time: 6:30 - 8:30

Where: PS 30Q

Address: 126-10 Bedell Street, Jamaica, NY

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Winter Wishes & Holiday Dreams Sponsored by Senator Shirley L. Huntley

What: Winter Wishes & Holiday Dreams

When: Wednesday December 22nd

Time: 11 am

Where: Alpha Kappa Alpha Day Care Center

Address: 144-06 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11436

Wills Begins His First Says in City Council by by Ivan Pereira - Queens Campaigner

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Ruben Wills is welcomed into the City Hall's chambers during his first day in office. Photo courtesy of NYC Council (William-Alatriste-New-York-City-Council)

City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) started his term as the new member of City Hall’s Queens delegation last week and he said he has been busy finding ways to solve his southeast Queens district’s biggest problems.

Wills was officially inaugurated Nov. 30 during a special ceremony at City Hall and he will hold a community inauguration this Saturday at York College. Wills said he has had no time to celebrate his election to the seat, which was held by Councilman Thomas White until his death in August, and he has already hit the ground running.

“It’s been incredible. I’ve been going 100 mph,” he said.

Wills has been abstaining from voting on legislation for the time being since he was not part of earlier public hearing sessions associated with bills.

“I would be doing my constituents a disservice by voting on things I didn’t have knowledge about,” he said.

In the meantime, Wills said he is spending time letting his constituents come to him and provide feedback on Council District 28, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village.

Wills’ district office at Sutphin Boulevard and 95th Avenue is in the process of being created, so in the meantime he and his staff will operate out of White’s former office at 137-42 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in South Ozone Park. His office’s current phone number is 718-528-5712.

Wills said he chose the Sutphin Boulevard location as his headquarters not only because it is in the center of the district, but also because it is close to major public transportation hubs such as the Long Island Rail Road.

“We wanted to keep the campaign promise that we would be accessible in the district,” he said.

The councilman has already started work on legislation that he said would help curb the foreclosure problem in southeast Queens. The neighborhoods of Jamaica, St. Albans and Springfield Gardens lead the state in the number of foreclosed homes and the problem is getting worse, according to Wills.

The bill is still in the early stages, but Wills said he would get into the chambers as soon as possible.

“We need to deal with the foreclosure problem now. I don’t want this drafted and looked at for months, I want it passed,” he said.

Wills won the special election last month to fill the seat vacated by White, who was just months into his second term when he died of cancer in August.

The community activist was one of seven candidates who ran in the special non-partisan election for the District 28 seat and won with 3,347 votes, roughly 31 percent of the total vote during the election. Others who were vying for the seat included Nicole Paultre-Bell, the fiancee of police shooting victim Sean Bell, former Councilman Alan Jennings and Albert Baldeo.

Wills will serve the office for a year and face an election next year to keep his seat, according to the rules in the City Charter. The winner of that election will serve out the rest of the term until 2014.

The councilman said he has also received a helping hand from Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan), who have shown him the ins and outs of City Hall. He noted, however, that his years working for elected officials such as Comrie and state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) have geared him up for this moment and he is ready to take the challenge of leading the community head-on.

“I know the experience I was equipped with … it really has been helping me,” he said.

Wills Prepares His Council Agenda by Ivan Pereira - Queens Campaigner

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Ruben Wills campaigns outside PS 223 in southeast Queens on election day. Photo by Christina Santucci

In the week since he won the special election to the southeast Queens City Council seat, Ruben Wills said he has been hard at work at making sure his constituents’ voices are heard when he enters City Hall.

The councilman-elect for the 28th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village, said he has been visiting with community leaders and constituents to hear their concerns and work on his agenda.

“It is just starting to settle in because we have been working, working, working,” Wills said of his Nov. 2 victory in the non-partisan election. “I haven’t had the chance to absorb it and smile.”

Wills, 39, filled the seat that suddenly opened up when Councilman Thomas White died Aug. 27.

The Democratic former aide said he already has a plan to help the district and has starting working on implementing plans for the community. He has met with the borough president and Aqueduct Race Track developer Genting New York about the jobs that will be created by the racino project.

He is also talking with the principals and parents of PS 30 and PS 40 in Jamaica, PS 147 in Cambria Heights and IS 231 in Springfield Gardens, which are slated for closure by the city.

“The education agenda is something that I have been working out. This is not a one-sided thing. It’s not just about if you have a child in the school. You can have a nephew or neighbor in the school and it affects them, too,” he said.

Wills said he also has long-term plans for the other problems that have been crippling the neighborhood. He is looking into drafting legislation that would curb the foreclosure problems in southeast Queens and has spoken with the NYPD’s chief of community affairs to see what can be done to stop the growing cases of violent crime and murders in the area.

Wills said the best solution was for law enforcement and residents to work together to combat crime.

“We want to let people know what’s going on with the gangs so we can discuss ways on the best possible solution to deal with it,” he said.

Wills won with 31.17 percent of the total vote and beat out Nicole Paultre-Bell, Albert Baldeo, Allan Jennings, Charles Bilal, Harpreet Singh Toor and Martha Taylor Butler, who had 436 votes, or 4.06 percent, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections.

Wills said that as of Monday the only challengers who had contacted him were Toor and Baldeo, both of whom congratulated his victory. He did, however, get congratulatory phone calls from U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton), who both endorsed Paultre-Bell during her campaign.

Wills, who was endorsed by former bosses state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), said his years of work and trust with the community is what led to his victory.

“I had the confidence of the most important people in the community: the voters,” he said.

Tots-2-Seniors - Toys, Books, Clothing & Coat Drive - Sponsored by Senator Shirley Huntley & Mothers Against Guns

What: Tots-2-Seniors - Toys, Books, Clothing & Coat Drive

When: Now thru December 8th

Where: 133-24 233rd Street, Rosedale, NY

Sponsored by: Senator Shirley Huntley and Mothers Against Guns

Celebration Date: Saturday December 11th

Time: Noon - 2pm (same location as drop-offs)

Project Hope Health Fair at York College on November 20th Sponsored by NY Senator Shirley Huntley

Click on image to enlarge

What: Project Hope Health Fair

When: Saturday, November 20, 2010

Time: 10am - 2pm

Where: York Collegee Atrium

Address: 94-20 Guy Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY

Direct Questions to: Lois Menyweather - Phone 718-949-1601 or email address: menyweat@nysenate.gov

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.

Petition Snafu Threatens To End Lynn Nunes Council Candidacy At BoE by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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Lynn Nunes’ Council race may be over before it even began.

Just days before the end of his unsuccessful State Senate primary against Shirley Huntley, Nunes irked some of his backers by simultaneously applying for matching funds in the Council race to replace the deceased Tom White. At the same time, Nunes’ sister, Elaine, petitioned onto the ballot for the Council race, with the unspoken intention of ceding the spot to her brother via her committee on vacancies if the Senate campaign was unsuccessful.

And so the plan went into motion last week, after Nunes fell to Huntley by a 2-1 margin in Tuesday’s primary.

But it too seems to be falling short of expectations.
The New York City Board of Elections is initiating prima facie objections against the petitions of both Lynn and Elaine Nunes for the special election, based on the party name they created for the purposes of the election: Working Harder for Queens.

The problem is simple, and is one that has cut short special election candidacies before: their new party name is similar to that of the existing Working Families Party. And according to Board of Elections rules, the name of a party used on designating petitions cannot share all or any part of the name of an existing political party. (Huntley, as it happens, received the WFP line for the Senate race earlier in the summer.)

The Board of Elections considered a very similar issue just last February, for the special election fill the Council seat Joe Addabbo vacated to go to the State Senate. Glenn DiResto, a former police officer who had petitioned for the seat as the candidate of the Families First party was booted from the ballot because he had used the other operative word in the WFP’s title.

Eventually, DiResto was allowed back on the ballot by a judge, but only because the Board had given another candidate in the race the chance to change the name of their party after making a similar error.

In a phone conversation early Monday, Nunes said he was not sure if he would be running for the Council, and did not mention the BOE snafu.

Nunes did not return subsequent calls for comment.

J.C. Polanco, the Board’s Republican commissioner from the Bronx, said a BOE hearing
would be held on Tuesday, Sept. 28 regarding Nunes’ petitions. The special election is set to be held on the day of the general election, Nov. 2.

Already, 22 general objections have been filed in the race against nearly every one of the dozen potential candidates. A general objector named Joseph Thomas Jr. filed objections against Elaine Nunes, while general objectors Sharon Smith and Troy L. Jackson filed objections against both Elaine and Lynn Nunes.

Between them, Smith and Jackson appear to have lodged general objections at least once against every candidate except for Ruben Wills, the favorite of Huntley and Assembly Member Vivian Cook. Wills, who is running as the candidate of A Better Way, had his petitions challenged by Jaime Nunes.

General objections were also filed against the Taxpayers line petitions filed by Michael Allegretti, who lost the GOP Congressional primary to face Rep. Mike McMahon last week, as well as the Taxpayers petitions of Nicole Malliotakis, hoping to unseat Assembly Member Janele Hyer-Spencer. New lines with names playing off the word “taxes” appear to be somewhat taxing themselves: the Tax Cuts Now! line of Anthony Como, running against State Sen. Joe Addabbo, was challenged by three people, and the Taxed Enough line of Vince Tabone, running for the seat being vacated by Ann-Margaret Carrozza, was challenged by two people.