OTB Restructuring Fails Senate, Corp. Set To Close Tonight by Matthew Hampton - Forest Hills, NY Patch

Read original...

Click on image to enlarge.
Closed OTB on Crossbay Blvd/Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park. Photo: Lost in the Ozone 

The restructuring bill that would have saved New York City's Off-Track Betting Parlors in the city was voted down in the senate Tuesday afternoon, possibly sealing the fate of up to 1,000 workers in New York City.

The rescue, which required 32 votes for passage, received 29 out of 50 votes in the senate on Tuesday afternoon.

The vote broke down almost perfectly along party lines, with State Sen. Frank Padavan, R-Bellerose, and Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, the only Republicans who voted for the plan.

In and around Forest Hills, every local senator voted in favor of the restructuring.

State Sen. Toby-Ann Stavisky, D-Whitestone, voted yes on the restructuring plan, which was put together by Gov. David Paterson and passed the assembly earlier this year. State Sen. Joe Addabbo,D- Ozone Park, who spent much of his first term working to put together the Aqueduct revitalization, also voted yes on the restructuring. State Sen. Shirley Huntley, D-Jamaica, voted yes.

Stavisky said she was extremely disappointed in the vote because of the jobs which are likely to be immediately eliminated in the city.

"I was hoping to save the 800 jobs, quite frankly. This is not the time of the year when you tell 800 people goodbye," she said. "But it just continues the Republican pattern of voting 'no' on anything."

Stavisky added that in a state where horseracing used to be king, the repurcussions of the loss of off-track betting in New York City would be widely felt.

"This is going to have a statewide impact. Horsebreeders, farms, this affects way beyond the five boroughs," she said.

There were 10 senators who did not attend the vote, including several from New York City.

New York City Councilman David Greenfield, of Brooklyn, took to Twitter to register his frustration.

Click on image to enlarge.
Notice on Door of OTB at Ozone Park branch. Photo by - Lost in the Ozone 

New York State Senate rejects OTB bailout by three votes. It might have passed, but 10 Senators didn't even show up," Greenfield wrote.

Many in the chamber voiced their displeasure with the fact that there was no way to work with the state Assembly on a compromise bill, since the Senate went into extraordinary session alone.

A statement on NYC OTB's website stated that the corporation would begin closing processes effective immediately.

"Due to a lack of unrestricted funds to continue in business, NYC OTB will be ceasing all pari-mutuel wagering operations today, Tuesday, December 7, 2010 as per our Board of Directors vote, and will proceed to the orderly winding down of its business affairs," the statement read.

Three sites, including the OTB parlor in Forest Hills, will be open for six extra days, starting Dec. 8, to allow customers to cash out accounts.

Election 2010 - Padavan Concedes Senate Seat by Bob Doda - The Queens Courier

Read original...

Frank Padavan’s pursuit for another term in the State Senate ended earlier today in a statement made through his press office. After impounding voting machines, citing problems with the new equipment and asking to wait for military and absentee ballots, Padavan pulled the plug on his pursuit stating that “the voters of the 11th Senate District have spoken.”

“It has been a deep honor to serve my country and city and a privilege to serve as a New York State Senator for nearly four decades,” said Padavan. “Over that time, we faced times of unimaginable adversity and moments of great triumph. We have overcome odds never thought possible and we stand stronger for taking on each and every challenge. I am proud of the countless good works our community has undertaken together and moreover I am proud to have been a part of them.”

Padavan’s statement did not include any thoughts about his ouster, Tony Avella – who took down the 38-year Republican incumbent by just over 3,000 votes on Election Day – or his current plans for the future.

“I leave with a wholehearted thank you for the support the voters of the 11th Senate District placed in me year after year as their Senator.”

Unions Made the NY Difference by Jerry Skurnik - NYPOST.com

Read original...

"Republicans nationally just had one of their best days ever -- but New York stands out as one of the few places that the wave missed. Every Democrat running for statewide office won, three in landslides, plus Attorney General-elect Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who'd both been thought vulnerable to defeat by attractive Republican opponents.

More significant, the Democrats may have kept their 32-30 control of the state Senate, and they re-elected almost all of their Assembly members, despite poll numbers showing voters were disgusted with Albany governance."

OK, New York isn't completely different: Democrats lost at least five House seats and seven to 10 Assembly seats. Democrats did fairly well in a few other states on Tuesday, among them California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Hawaii.

But, compared to most of the country, we certainly voted differently -- and have for at least a decade.

While there are many reasons for this, a crucial one is organized labor. New York has more than 2 million union members, second only to California -- more than 25 percent of workers here are union members, tops in the nation.

And New York unions are politically active. Some limit their actions to donating to favored candidates; others make sure their members are registered to vote and inform them of which candidates support the union's positions.

But many do much more -- from forming the base of the Working Families Party (which was remarkably successful in last year's New York City Council elections) to having union members canvass or phone voters in close races.

A personal example: Last Friday, someone helping Republican state Sen. Frank Padavan told me that the campaign was worried because the United Federation of Teachers was making a major effort on behalf of his Democratic opponent, former City Councilman Tony Avella.

This was the first I'd heard Padavan might be in trouble; internal polls supposedly had him with a big lead. But the teachers unions can be quite effective: I served as a consultant this year for an incumbent assemblywoman who lost the Democratic nomination by 56 votes -- and whose opponent was encouraged to run by the New York State United Teachers, which was his largest contributor.

The unions were effective again. Avella was one of two Democrats to take a GOP Senate seat; the other was David Carlucci in Rockland County. UFT President Michael Mulgrew told me that hundreds of union members campaigned for both candidates, with members from Manhattan and The Bronx going to Rockland.

Mulgrew also says the union was active on behalf of Tim Kennedy, a Democratic Senate candidate in Erie County, who was defending a seat that most observers thought was hopeless -- but who won.

Conversely, the two Democratic senators who lost were not endorsed by either the teachers or the AFL-CIO, as is one whose race is too close to call, which may determine who controls the Senate.

Jerry Skurnik is a partner in Prime New York, a political consulting firm.

Planned Parenthood Endorses Avella - Endorsement Statement -- PPNYC Action Fund

Action Fund Makes Queens Senate District 11 Priority for November Election

Today the Planned Parenthood of New York City Action Fund (Action Fund) announced its endorsement of Tony Avella for the New York State Senate representing Queens Senate District 11.

“Tony Avella has returned a 100% pro-choice questionnaire and has pledged to be a leader on women’s health in the New York State Senate,” said Joan Malin, president & CEO of the Action Fund. “In the New York City Council, Tony Avella was known for his independence, tenacity and passionate advocacy. Avella has pledged to use that same energy to advocate on the behalf of reproductive rights and health in the NYS Senate.”

"Incumbent Senator Frank Padavan is simply anti-choice. We wholeheartedly endorse Tony Avella," said Malin.

As one of the most entrenched elected officials in New York State, Frank Padavan has taken every opportunity to vote against women’s health in his 38 years in the State Senate.

He voted against common-sense health legislation like the Women’s Health and Wellness bill that ensured contraceptives would be covered by insurance plans, and that established minimum coverage requirements for mammograms in helping to detect breast cancer.

Frank Padavan was also 1 of just 4 State Senators to vote against the Clinic Access and Anti-Stalking Act, legislation that ensured women have safe access to reproductive health centers. And he voted against the Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act, legislation that would have increased access to emergency contraception.

In stark contrast, Tony Avella voted in favor of a law requiring the New York City Department of Health make available emergency contraception at its health centers, health stations, health clinics or other health facilities, and he voted in favor of a law to ensure all New York City hospitals provide emergency contraception to rape survivors.

For far too long, this pro-choice district has been misrepresented by a Senator who is out of touch with his constituents. As a newly elected Senator, Tony Avella will not abandon the women and families of New York!

The Action Fund will be conducting grassroots activities, phone banking and door to door canvassing to inform voters in SD 11 about the anti-woman, anti-choice stance of their current Senator and to educate the voters about Tony Avella’s 100% pro-choice rating. The Action Fund will also call upon its army of activists to hold events throughout the summer to alert voters about what’s at stake in the November election.

NYLCV Backs Nunes by Andrew J. Hawkins - City Hall News

Read original...


The New York League of Conservation Voters has thrown its support behind Lynn Nunes, the Democratic primary challenger to Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley.

The announcement came in a brief press release from Nune’s campaign, which said he landed the endorsement from the NYLCV for his “commitment to protecting New York’s land, air, and water.” There’s no statement from the league as of yet.

This is a pretty interesting turn of events for several reasons.

The NYLCV, as I noted yesterday, played a role back in 2008 in helping the Democrats flip a Long Island Senate seat that had long been held by the GOP by backing now-Sen. Brian Foley against then-incumbent Sen. Caesar Trunzo.
That win helped the Democrats take control of the chamber. (The other big loss was Sen. Serf Maltese, who was toppled by Joe Addabbo, another NYLCV-endorsed candidated.


Yesterday, the league announced it would again back GOP Sen. Frank Padavan against his Democratic challenger, former NYC Councilman Tony Avella, even though Avella had received a 100 percent rating from the organization on its environmental scorecard.

Avella blamed his opposition to Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan. (It should also be noted that in 2008, the NYLCV split the baby in the Padvan race, backing both the Republican incumbent AND his Democratic challenger, NYC Councilman Jim Gennaro).

As far as I can tell, the NYLCV didn’t back Huntley in 2008.

Nunes is building support among some key special interests, including supporters of charter schools and gay marriage advocates.

Both of those groups are backing primary challengers against incumbent Democrats this September in an attempt to re-shape the majority (assuming it holds in November) into something they feel better suits their needs.

A Weprin For Avella by Lisa L. Colangelo - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

Read original...


The gracious Lisa L. Colangelo of the DN's Queens Bureau sums up the latest dynastic endorsement for state Senate hopeful Tony Avella:


Former Democratic City Councilman Tony Avella of Queens is following up his recently-announced challenge to long-time State Sen. Frank Padavan by unveiling a series of endorsements.
Today he got the backing of his former Council colleague David Weprin.

“Tony Avella and I served together in the City Council for eight years and there was no one more independent,” Weprin said. “While we didn’t always agree on every issue, Tony was guided by principle and did what he thought was right for his constituents and for New York City.”

Although it’s no surprise that a fellow Democrat would endorse Avella over Padavan, a Republican, Weprin’s last name does carry weight in eastern Queens.
David’s brother, Mark, recently took over his City Council seat. In turn, David took Mark’s vacant state Assembly seat in a recent special election.

The Weprin political dynasty dates back to the early 1970s when their dad, Saul, was first elected to the Assembly.

Padavan was seated for his first term in the state Senate around the same time. The popular lawmaker has continued to win re-election, even though registered Democrats are the majority in the 11th district.

“It’s crucial, it’s very big in this area,” Avella said of the Weprin endorsement.
“And there’s more to come.”

Local 1500 United Food and Commercial Workers has already thrown its support behind Avella for the November election.

Frank Padavan Scores Independence Line For State Senate Race In Queens, But Anthony Como Is Blocked By Chris Bragg - City Hall News

Read original...

In his attempt to hold off former New York City Council Member Tony Avella this year, State Sen. Frank Padavan will have the crucial Independence Party line.

But fellow Queens Republican Anthony Como, who is running against State Sen. Joe Addabbo, will not.

The party’s executive committee officially submitted its endorsements on Monday.

Both riled members of the State Independence Party by using members of the party’s rival New York City faction to gatherer their petition signatures. Padavan was pulled from the precipice thanks to his longstanding ties with party chair Frank MacKay and his close relationship with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an Independence ally and benefactor.

But in Como’s race, the line went to Addabbo.

“I was able to keep one of them off,” said Michael Zumbluskus, a downstate executive committee member who was upset with the campaigns’ use of rival signature gatherers, and claimed victory from keeping Como off the line.

Zumbluskus said that the decision was also helped by Addabbo’s campaign carrying petitions for Independence Party state committee members, while Como’s had not.

Como campaign spokesman James McClelland sought to downplay the development, which could make it difficult for Como to win in a Queens district with a heavy Democratic enrollment advantage. McClelland said that Como’s campaign met Sunday night after learning of the news and decided they still would be viable going forward.

“It’s not a blow to the campaign, because this year the anti-incumbent sentiment is so strong,” he said. “In the past, the Independence Party was more of an asset.”

Though Padavan is seen as having a close relationship with Bloomberg, Como does not. After losing a Council election in 2008, Como voted against the term-limits extension. He says he was later offered a job by the Bloomberg administration as a commissioner at the New York City Housing Authority, which prompted him to skip a planned reelection bid for his old Council seat. But the job never materialized.

To those watching the situation, Bloomberg’s fingerprints are on some other party endorsements as well. According to Zumbluskus, Mark Pollard—a pro-charter school candidate running a Democratic primary gainst State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery in Brooklyn—also got the Independence nod.

State. Sen Toby Ann Stavisky, meanwhile, got the Independence nod despite the support of Queens County executive committee member Michael Niebauer for Democratic challenger Isaac Sasson.

Niebauer is one of a number of executive committee members around the state disheartened that local candidate picks got trumped by state party leadership.

“They never make us look good here in Queens,” Niebauer said. “We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Extraordinary Session Becomes Political Football by Elizabeth Benjamin - Capital Tonite

Padavan's job is located in Albany, not Bayside...He should have attended the special session...I guess his re-election and campaigning are more to him than doing the people's business for which he was elected to do...How on earth could he have known what would happen during the special session, he must be a clairvoyant...

Read original...

One Democratic candidate has seized on last night’s quickie extraordinary session as campaign fodder in his quest to oust incumbent GOP Sen. Frank Padavan, who did not heed Gov. David Paterson’s proclamation calling lawmakers back to Albany last night.

Former NYC Councilman Tony Avella issued a statement earlier today slamming the Queens senator for opting to campaign in his district rather than travel to the Capitol for the gavel in-gavel out session that lasted no more than four minutes.

“Padavan’s Albany absence is a slap in the face to the hardworking taxpayers in our district,” Avella said.

“When he should have been working to resolve the budget crisis and education funding, he was too worried about his own political future.”

A reader e-mailed shortly after 7 p.m. last night (recall that the extraordinary session was called for 7 p.m.) to say he had spotted Padavan handing out campaign literature and posing for photos with constituents at a concert at Ft. Totten Park.

Avella noted that Padavan, who came close to losing his seat last year to NYC Councilman Jim Gennaro, was one of three Republicans who were absent last night.

The others were George Winner (who isn’t seeking re-election) and Sen. John Flanagan. Excused last night were Sens. Tom Morahan (ailing and not seeking re-election) and Sen. Steve Saland.

The journal clerk says all 32 Democrats were marked present last night, although a GOP source insists three majority members weren’t in the chamber for the session.

CapTon’s Kaitlyn Ross spoke to Padvan, who is in Albany today. He said he felt justified in staying away last night because he had “learned there weren’t going to be any votes and practically no session.”

“I was with about 600 constituents at a lawn concert with the Bayside Historical Society, which I helped create,” Padavan explained.

“That’s where I was. It was something I had planned for months, but I would have left in a second had we actually been doing anything.”

Padavan said Avella showed up last night, too, but left after the senator was acknowledged by the historical society. Padavan’s closing thought: “We had nice weather for the concert, but it was hot!”

Scientist: Throgs Neck Rehab Dumped Toxins into Little Bay by Joe Kemp - NY Daily News

Read original...

A bridge rehabilitation project that already has a list of snafus - including the death of a worker and a fire that resulted in weeks of snarled traffic - is being charged with yet another potential hazard: the dumping of high levels of lead and mercury in the water.

The blasting of lead-based paint on the Throgs Neck Bridge, the 2,300-foot span that connects Queens and the Bronx, may have contaminated the waters of Little Bay, according to an environmental scientist.

"I'm not by any means trying to attack the MTA [Bridges and Tunnels]," said Dr. James Cervino, an environmental scientist who serves on the Task Force on Health Effects of Toll Plaza Air Quality in New York City, a state panel.

"I want to urge them to start collecting samples and work with the community," Cervino said.

The MTA, however, argues that the bridge project has met all environmental safety requirements, and the new claims are simply unfounded.

"The process was performed in full containment, with additional restrictions imposed on work performed near sensitive locations," said MTA Bridges and Tunnels vice president Catherine Sweeney in a response letter sent last week.

According to the agency's monitoring of 103 dust-producing work days on the bridge, no dangerous levels of potentially harmful metals were emitted.

But those tests should have included more samples, Cervino said.

"They only tested air," he said, adding that his findings came from the water and the land along the shoreline of the bay.

Although his tests were preliminary, Cervino and community leaders plan to hire an independent laboratory to conduct a more thorough examination of the samples. The results of which should be known by mid-January, he said.

"We're grateful to [Cervino]," said state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose). "He's been more often right than wrong."

Considering the safety of the residents, Padavan hopes the new tests only prove the agency's claim that the area is toxin-free.

"I'd like them to be right," he said.

Concerned locals also hope the results don't reveal any threats to their health.

"I coach soccer under that bridge," said Anthony Melone, 44, the father of two young children. "Those kids roll around all over that field. This is ridiculous."

jkemp@nydailynews.com

Bowne House Funds on Hold by John Lauinger - NY Daily News

Read original...

Photo by WallyG on Flickr

THE BULK of the funding for the long-overdue restoration of the historic Bowne House in Flushing remains in place, but a portion will be held back until 2013, city officials said last week.

The Colonial-era relic - one of the city's oldest homes and an important symbol of religious freedom - has been surrounded by controversy amid a series of anonymous e-mails lambasting the city for yanking the funds.

The city is in the process of acquiring the house from the Bowne House Historical Society.

The $628,000 that City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) allocated for the restoration has been pulled by the city, the Parks Department confirmed to Queens News.

That money won't be available until 2013, but department officials appeared to quash fears that the restoration project was doomed.

"We currently have $1.7 million available for the restoration of the roof, siding, windows and doors, as well as structural stabilization of the house," Parks said in a statement.

The Historic House Trust of New York City, a nonprofit preservation group that works with Parks, issued a similar statement.

The Bowne House, where John Bowne defied Dutch Colonial law and allowed members of the outlawed Quaker faith to meet, will become the Trust's 23rd site once the handover is complete.

The historical society's board of trustees signed over the home to the city in March, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

All that remains is for state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to sign off on the transfer.

"Capital restoration work can begin after the transfer," the Parks Department said in its statement, without providing a timeline.

The funding scuttlebutt prompted some preservationists and a state lawmaker to charge that the pullback would jeopardize the continued existence of the home, whose roof is covered by little more than a tarp.

"Bowne House is in desperate need of the funds to continue with the building repairs," state Sen. Frank Padavan wrote to Mayor Bloomberg on May 18. Padavan has allocated $100,000 to build a visitor center at the site.

Members of the Bowne House board learned of the funding issue in an e-mail that Mikel Travisano, an architectural conservator with the Trust, sent to some members on March 24, shortly after the board signed away the property, a source said.

That e-mail, obtained by Queens News, included a message that could prove ominous for the project's future.

"Because of current and continuing budget problems, future changes to the Parks budget will be funding cuts rather than moving funds to a future fiscal year," Travisano wrote.

"Sorry for the bad news," he concluded.

jlauinger@nydailynews.com

Fall From Grace: Democrats Criticize Padavan’s Support of McLaughlin by Stephen Stirling - YourNabe.com

Read original...

Sen. Frank Padavan calls state Democrats’ criticism of him for writing a letter on behalf of Brian McLaughlin “despicable.” Photo by Christina Santucci

A letter written by state Sen. Frank Padavan (R−Bellerose) on behalf of disgraced former colleague Brian McLaughlin set off a firestorm of political rhetoric last week.

State Democrats blasted Padavan for writing a letter to the judge who is set to sentence McLaughlin next week after he pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge last year.

Padavan was the only elected official among 47 people who wrote letters for McLaughlin, many of whom asked for leniency when Judge Richard Sullivan sentences the former politician May 20 in Manhattan federal court.

“While I have no direct knowledge of the legal matters involving Brian McLaughlin, I have known Brian for over two decades,” Padavan wrote on his official Senate stationery. “I worked closely with him in advancing important legislation in the Senate and Assembly. In addition, I have known Brian to be a dedicated community servant, an active member of his parish and a loving father.”

Shams Tarek, a spokesman for the state Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, criticized the letter.

“It seems that Sen. Padavan’s campaign slogan that ‘Nobody cares like Frank’ is especially true if you’re a corrupt politician who steals money from little kids,” Tarek said. “Not only does this bring disgrace to Sen. Padavan and his office, but it shows a gross lack of judgment and raises serious questions about what kind of relationship he had and continues to have with Brian McLaughlin. It’s an unholy alliance to say the least.”

Padavan called Tarek’s comments “despicable” and pointed out he never asked for sentencing leniency in his letter to Sullivan.

“They’re calling me a crook. I’ve never seen this kind of horrible rhetoric come out from someone who is clearly working for the majority leader,” Padavan said. “What [McLaughlin] did, he’ll have to pay for that. I did not ask for leniency. I did want to let the judge know that people saw him in this better light, however.”

State Democrats have been gunning for Padavan’s Senate seat as they attempt to bolster their thin majority in the state Senate.

Tarek, who recently was hired as spokesman for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, was formerly the chief of staff for City Councilman James Gennaro (D−Forest Hills), whom Padavan narrowly defeated in November to retain his post.

ADVERTISEMENT

McLaughlin pleaded guilty in March 2008 to federal racketeering charges for stealing millions of dollars from several groups, including his own campaign committee and a Little League.

Dems Keep Up the Pressure on Padavan by Peter C. Mastrosimone - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

The campaign finally ended when the votes were officially tallied three months after the election, but the animosity between Republican state Sen. Frank Padavan and the Democrats who came closer than ever to unseating him remains.

Padavan won his 19th term by less than 500 votes of the more than 90,000 that were cast in the race between him and Democratic City Councilman James Gennaro of Fresh Meadows.

After the state budget vote, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee sent out a mailer criticizing Padavan for voting no, as all Republican members of the Senate did. The flier cited several areas for which the budget increased funding, such as higher education and services for the elderly.

The mailer incensed Padavan enough so the senator wrote a letter to this newspaper outlining his reasons for voting against the budget. Those were mainly the tax hikes it contains, which the Democrats say will only impact the wealthy, and the secrecy in which it was crafted —the “three men in a room” system for which the state government is frequently criticized.

But now there’s a new issue on the table: a letter Padavan wrote to the judge who will sentence former Democratic Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin in his corruption and perjury case.

In full, the letter reads, “Dear Judge Sullivan: While I have no direct knowledge of the legal matters involving Brian McLaughlin, I have known Brian for over [two] decades. I worked closely with him in advancing important legislation in the Senate and Assembly. In addition, I have know[n] Brian to be a dedicated community servant, an active member of his parish and a loving father.”

Democrats such as Shams Tarek, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee spokesman who had been an aide to Gennaro, see the letter as a plea for leniency.

Padavan’s camp points out that the letter does not actually ask for leniency. But the Democrats say that even without those words, the missive is by definition a request to go easy on McLaughlin.

“The fact is ... these types of letters are done as a favor to the convicted and an attempt to get leniency in sentencing no matter how vague the language,” Tarek said.“And what makes this case most egregious is the severity of the corruption that’s being excused here, and the fact that no other elected official in the entire state chose to do what Senator Padavan did here.”

The assertion that no other politician wrote such a letter could not be confirmed.

Padavan dismissed it all as mudslinging.

“Once again the DSCC is distorting the facts for their political agenda,” an aide said on the senator’s behalf. “This is just a continuation of their lies from the fall campaign. The simple fact of the matter is that the letter doesn’t ask for leniency, and to suggest otherwise is wrong.”

Democrats said they were further angered by the fact the letter was sent using Padavan’s official Senate letterhead.

Could all this mean a rematch between Padavan and Gennaro in 2010? The councilman said he intends to run for re-election to the City Council this year and has no electoral plans beyond that. The senator said, “Absolutely,” when asked whether he’ll seek a 20th term.

The McLaughlin letter aside, much of the debate this week, during the last campaign and during the vote count comes down to basic Republican and Democratic philosophies on economics and the proper role of government — though with a particularly sharp tone. Padavan’s won race after race from the conservative side of that debate, but the Democrats have the momentum and won Senate control last fall from the liberal side. The people will make their decision again in 18 months.

McLaughlin Sentencing Stirs Up Political Storm by Joseph Orovic - Queens Tribune

Read original...

Disgraced Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin is expected to finally face sentencing for pleading guilty to corruption charges on Thursday. The former labor boss and seven-term democratic Assemblyman faces up to 10 years in prison. But as is common in this political circus, the day approaches with a sideshow.

A group of union leaders, family members and friends submitted letters to Judge Richard Sullivan for consideration during sentencing. The submissions come from people as wide-ranging as McLaughlin’s Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor to State Senator Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose).

The Senate Republican’s letter in particular sparked a brouhaha, as the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee pounced at the opportunity to lambaste Padavan’s submission.

The letter itself is rather innocuous, simply stating Padavan’s relationship to McLaughlin as a former coworker and calls him “a dedicated community servant, an active member of his parish and a loving father.”

Padavan said he rarely writes such letters, and was prompted to do so when members of McLaughlin’s family contacted his district office.

He called the DSCC’s work a “political hatchet job” and “low level politics.”

“[The DSCC are] a bunch of lying bastards. And I’ll tell the Majority Leader when I see him. And this guy, what’s his name, Shams [Tarek, DNCC Spokesman]? He’s going to rue the day he runs into me.”

Before taking his position with the DSCC, Tarek was the communications director for Councilman Jim Gennaro, who challenged Padavan in a hotly contested race for Senate last year that was not resolved until after this year’s session began.

Tarek responded to Padavan’s criticism. “As vague as the language may appear to be, the fact that he wrote the letter means that he’s looking for leniency [for McLaughlin],” Tarek said. “This letter is a favor to Brian McLaughlin. It’s seeking favor from the judge. Long time Democratic party allies didn’t write a letter.

“The facts speak for themselves and I hope for his sake that Senator Padavan is not threatening me.”

Political circus aside, the 56-year-old McLaughlin pleaded guilty to a slew of charges, including stealing $2.2 million in cash, getting free cars and taking money from a Little League Baseball organization that had been funded by his own legislative member item funds.

The judge may also have to factor in McLaughlin’s cooperation with investigators into Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio’s (D-Richmond Hill) own corruption charges as well as McLaughlin’s cooperation in a case pending against Petrocelli Electric Company in Long Island City.

Quietly, Bloomberg Traded Backing of Ognibene for Queens GOP Support - City Hall News

Read original...

Queens Republican Chairman Phil Ragusa may have been one of the most vocal critics of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (Ind.) rent-a-ballot initiative, but long before he publicly came out for the mayor’s re-election, the plainspoken CPA had succumbed to the mayor’s brand of hardball.

At the Manhattan GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner on April 2, which came at the height of Ragusa’s defiance, Bloomberg bought two tables, at $10,000 a piece, and filled them with a couple dozen dissident Queens Republicans, who enjoyed the festivities on the mayor's dime.

Ragusa got the message. Word quietly went out soon after that he would become the third county chair to officially endorse Bloomberg, giving the mayor a lock on the GOP line, even as others were still focusing on Manhattan as the supposed swing vote.

The affable Queens GOP chair kept up his public indecision. But privately, he was negotiating with the Bloomberg campaign to ensure that any deal securing the mayor’s spot on the ballot would also secure the future of his county organization. Word of Ragusa’s acquiescence was what convinced Bronx GOP chair Jay Savino, once a committed hold-out, to come out quickly with his own endorsement of Bloomberg.

Ragusa expressed guarded confidence that he had gotten what he wanted out of the negotiations.

“We’re trying to rebuild our party,” he said. “Hopefully, now he’s going to help us.”

For Ragusa, the stakes could not be higher: the party is down to two elected officials from the borough, longtime State Sen. Frank Padavan and surprise special election winner Council Member Eric Ulrich, both of whom are expected to face strong challenges in their next elections. Even with the mayor’s help, the once-great Queens GOP faces possible extinction.

Or as one Queens Republican put it: “The machine is not as well-oiled as it used to be.”

The Queens Republicans once had a handful of seats, at every level of government, including Al Stabile and Tom Ognibene on the Council, Serphin Maltese in the State Senate, and even Douglas Prescott in the Assembly.

So in the days leading up to his official decision, Ragusa made sure that he would at least get Bloomberg’s help in trying to pump life back into the county party. He also laid out a blueprint for trying to keep as many seats as possible in Republican hands.

According to those involved in the negotiations, Bloomberg agreed to back Ulrich in his bid for re-election, while Ognibene, who was the Conservative candidate in 2005 and was threatening to run against Bloomberg for the GOP line this year, agreed to step aside.

In return, Bloomberg promised to support Ognibene in a run for his old Council seat against Democratic Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, who defeated a Republican incumbent, Anthony Como, last year in their rematch for what had been Dennis Gallagher’s seat. This could come as a personal and political snub to Crowley’s cousin, Queens Democratic chair Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens/Bronx), who was seen as supportive of the mayor’s move to extend term limits and seek re-election.

Ognibene, who will announce his candidacy soon, said in an interview that he fully expects Bloomberg to support him.

The move required crowding out Como, who had himself expressed interest in running again for the seat, and was expected to challenge Crowley in a rematch this year. Como is now said to be concentrating on his private law practice and plans to forgo elected politics, according to Republican officials. He did not return messages left at his law office seeking comment.

Ulrich, for his part, has earned a more considerable investment from Bloomberg because of his early endorsement of the mayor, which came several days before Ragusa and the county party made their own decision public.

Some even think that Bloomberg made Ulrich the kingmaker, forcing the Queens GOP to go along with the decision of their prized young talent.

“Even if the Queens County GOP did not endorse the mayor, [Bloomberg would] be endorsing Eric, because Eric was out in front in the beginning with the mayor, and that counts for something with them,” said a Queens Republican. “He put his skin in the game before we did.”

Now, in what is sure to be an intense battle to keep his seat, Ulrich is positioning himself as a Bloomberg-type Republican: pro-union, pro-environment and, most importantly, unfettered by party allegiance.

“I didn’t want to wait for the county to come out and do it, because then obviously it would be seen as me just following what the party does,” Ulrich said. “I’m not into machine politics.”

Despite the contentiousness that preceded the deal, the final arrangement and the security of having the mayor’s billions behind them seem to have soothed Queens Republicans’ anxiety about the future—at least among the officials who have often warred with each other.

“It’s very unusual in Queens County Republican Party politics,” Ognibene said. “Since I’ve been involved, for well over 20 years now, I’ve never seen it with less internal struggle.”

Queens Senators Not Behind Governors Gay Marriage Bill by Ben Hogwood - Queens Chronicle

Read original...

Gov. David Paterson introduces legislation that would allow same-sex marriage at a news conference last week. (photo courtesy of the governor’s office)

Gov. David Paterson unveiled a gay marriage proposal last week to much fanfare, but that excitement is not shared by several local politicians.

This week, the Queens Chronicle contacted the borough’s seven senators for their opinion on the legislation. Of those, three said they opposed the bill, one was undecided, one was in support and the remaining two did not return calls.

While majority leader Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) supports the bill, his spokesman, Austin Shafran, said the senator will not bring it to the floor unless he knows it will succeed; right now that doesn’t appear likely. “We don’t believe there are sufficient votes at this time to pass the marriage equality bill,” Shafran said. “As soon as the votes can be secured, we will bring it up for a vote.”

Paterson, however, wants to see it voted on with or without knowing the end result, hoping national momentum will get it through. Paterson’s bill comes shortly after Vermont and Iowa legalized gay marriage.

Some Republicans would have to cross party lines to pass the bill, as several Democrats, including Queens Sen. George Onorato (D-Astoria), have declared their opposition. A spokesman for Onorato confirmed his opposition on Friday, but did not elaborate, nor did the senator return calls.

Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) also said she does not support the bill. Huntley said her decision is largely based on her religious beliefs. “I just don’t believe in it,” she said. “I’ve had a large influx of calls and letters from constituents who asked me not to support it.”

And that Republican support won’t come from Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose), the only GOP member from Queens in either state house. Padavan said he agreed with the state Court of Appeals when it ruled in 2006 that gay marriage is not allowed under law. That decision states that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples could be based on rational social goals, primarily the protection and welfare of children.

Padavan was critical of Paterson’s decision to introduce the legislation now, when he believes there are bigger issues that need addressing — specifically the MTA crisis and the state budget.

That was a position echoed by Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach). Addabbo represents the southern and mid Queens neighborhoods of Middle Village, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Glendale and Maspeth — areas that are historically conservative. Addabbo won the seat after defeating former Sen. Serphin Maltese, a Republican who held the position for 20 years, in 2008.

Addabbo said he has yet to make a decision on the legislation and will speak with people in the district for input. Still, he said this is hardly the time to be discussing gay marriage, citing the previous issues as well as problems closer to home, such as the closure of hospitals in the borough and redevelopment plans for Aqueduct Raceway, which is expected to become a “racino” with video lottery terminals — basically slot machines — in the near future.

“I truly believe there are priorities to be set and gay marriage is not a priority at this time,” Addabbo said.

Senators who did not return calls were Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D-Elmhurst) and Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing).

The governor’s bill is much the same as one passed in the Assembly in 2007. Three of the borough’s representatives voted against it at that time, including Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village), Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth) and Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio (D-Richmond Hill).

The governor introduced the legislation on April 16, framing it not as a gay issue but rather a civil rights concern.

“Marriage equality is about basic civil rights and personal freedom,” Paterson said in a prepared statement. “Too many individuals face discrimination every single day. Too many loving families do not receive the legal recognition they deserve.”

The bill would amend the Domestic Relations Law to give same-sex couples the opportunity to enter into civil marriages, qualifying them for 1,324 state rights on issues such as property ownership, inheritance, healthcare and insurance coverage.

A poll from the Siena Research Institute released Monday found that the majority of New Yorkers support the bill, with a margin of 53 to 39 percent. Democrats, independent and young voters and women strongly support Senate passage, while men, older voters, African Americans and Protestants were more often opposed, the poll found.

Light At The End Of The 11th SD Tunnel by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

Read original...

City Board of Elections commissioners voted unanimously today to reverse their December decision and allow disputed paper ballots to be counted in the yet-undecided 11th SD race, signaling the beginning of the end of what has been an extremely contentious and drawn-out process.

Depending on how long the count takes - and there have been conflicting reports as to exactly how many ballots are out there, but it's somewhere between 1,700 and 2,700 - this contest could be a contender for the title of longest-running undecided legislative race in modern history.

The record to date is the 2004 Spano-Stewart-Cousins race, in which Spano wasn't declared the winner until Feb. 8 of 2005 - and then by just 18 votes.

Republican Frank Padavan, who was the incumbent GOP senator when this whole mess started, has a lead of several hundred votes - perhaps as many as 500 - over his Democratic challenger, Councilman Jim Gennaro.

Observers and operatives on both sides of the aisle have been more or less in agreement (at least privately) that Padavan is going to be declared the winner.

The Democrats had a stake in delaying that outcome for as long as possible back when the leadership battle was still raging in the Senate, as it deprived Republican Dean Skelos of a vote. But that turned out not to make much of a difference in the end.

Despite the fact that he is technically no longer a senator, Padavan says he has been showing up for work at his district office, which continues to be staffed at the expense of the Senate GOP. He has already announced his intention to seek re-election in 2010.

Frank Padavan Calls It His Race, But State Senate Battle Rages On by Lisa L. Colangelo - New York Daily News

Read original...

The battle for the 11th state Senate District seat now being waged in courtrooms and election offices doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.

But as far as the longtime incumbent, Republican Frank Padavan, is concerned, the race is over. And he is confident he is the winner.

The latest count has Padavan ahead by 580 votes, with nearly 2,000 paper ballots still hanging in the balance.

“This is senseless legal wrangling,” Padavan said Wednesday. “This is an attempt by [Democrats] to count flawed votes already evaluated by a bipartisan process at the Board of Elections.”

Democratic Party officials say City Councilman James Gennaro, who challenged Padavan in what ended up being a surprisingly close race, still has a shot.

They are demanding that 1,750 paper ballots - originally dismissed by the Board of Elections - be reconsidered.

Democrats have accused Republicans of selectively challenging ballots cast by Asian and Latino voters.

Outside a Queens courtroom this week, several students from St. John’s University sat for hours after answering subpoenas. Republican lawyers had brought them into court to challenge their votes. But a judge dismissed the cases, calling the subpoenas a “nuisance.”

“Regardless of what the Republicans would like to have happen, the election should not and will not be over until every legitimate vote is counted,” said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for the State Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

While Republicans were set to ask a judge Wednesday to certify the election and end the challenges, Democrats made it clear they won’t back down.

An additional ally in the Senate could help state Sen. Malcolm Smith pull in wayward Democrats and have a stronger shot at becoming majority leader.

Republicans said they remain confident.

“Even taking into account the grand total of 252 ballots that have been put aside for court review, it has become a mathematical impossibility for Councilmember Gennaro to win this election,” said Joe Conway of the State Senate Republican Campaign Committee.

If the election is not settled by Jan. 1, the 11th District could find itself without a representative in the upper house.

Source: NY Daily News

State Senate Race: The Final Lap? by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Tribune

Read original...

Representatives from the Queens Board of Elections and lawyers for both the Queens County Democrats and Queens County Republicans are still hard at work counting the last of the paper ballots and affidavits to determine the winner of the District 11 State Senate seat.

On Tuesday, as the final 26th Assembly District ballots were bring counted, the numbers showed Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) leading Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) by 742 plus votes, according to Vincent Tabone, executive vice chairman of the Queens County Republican Party. The districts that remain to be counted are the 27th, 29th and 33rd. Assuming disputes and other issues that could delay the process are kept at bay, a final count could take place by Saturday evening, Tabone said.

The Queens Board of Elections commenced its machine and paper ballot count on Nov. 5, after Election Day results concluded that the race between Padavan and Gennaro was too close to determine. Since then, there have been several delays in the process including one last week, when lawyers for the Queens County Democratic Party accused their Republican counterparts of disputing several ballots unfairly, some based on race – allegations that the Republican Party denied.

Democratic Spokesperson Austin Shafran said Tuesday that current vote counts are premature and inaccurate because of the hundreds of remaining legitimate ballots of minority voters that Republicans have challenged based on race.

“We will keep going until every vote is counted,” he said.

Review of Rejected Ballots in Padavan vs. Gennaro by Victor Mimoni - The Queens Courier

Read original...

More than a month after Election Day, the 11th Senate District race between 18-term incumbent Republican Frank Padavan and his Democratic challenger, City Councilmember James Gennaro, is still undecided.

On Tuesday, December 2, Queens County Judge Kevin Kerrigan ordered Board of Elections (BOE) officials to allow a “re-canvass” of roughly 1,700 paper ballots which had been ruled invalid by a bipartisan panel of BOE personnel.

From a reported lead of 723 on Election Night, a recount of impounded voting machines reduced Padavan’s edge to 502 the following week. A hand count of emergency paper ballots - cast by undisputed voters because of machine breakdowns - reduced the margin to only 474.

The count of valid paper ballots was finally completed late in the evening on Monday, December 1, and showed Padavan with a 580 vote lead - with 252 disputed ballots, which would have to be evaluated by the judge before being counted.

“It wasn’t all that surprising,” said a Republican BOE employee. “Recounts almost always refine rather than reverse the initial result.”

Early Tuesday morning, Padavan was cautiously optimistic. “We’re pleased the counting has been completed,” but anticipating the hearing, he told The Courier, “We’re not sure what kind of action they will take.”

Democrats, including Gennaro consultant Evan Stavisky, have suggested for weeks that “there may be hundreds of valid votes” in the reject pile.

Padavan rejected the assertion. “BOE officials apply the law when rejecting ballots. If people aren’t registered, or live in other parts of the state, they can’t vote in the district,” he said.

Neither the rejected nor the disputed ballots have actually been seen. Paper ballots are kept in their envelopes and marked with coded voter information until they pass muster of the BOE and representatives from both sides.

Copies of each of the roughly 8,000 paper ballot envelopes were made as soon as the machine count was completed. According to a highly-placed Republican source, “The BOE distributed the copies to both sides on Tuesday - even before they officially received the judge’s writ.”

At least one BOE employee admitted that there has been “a glitch” - where valid ballots were discovered in the rejected pile - in the past.

Republican sources are privately scoffing at the Democrat’s “last-ditch” claims. “If there was a 20 percent error rate by the BOE - which is unheard of - and every single one of the recovered and disputed ballot went for Gennaro, they still wouldn’t have enough,” one source said.

“They’re trying to keep this going as long as they can,” the source surmised.

It was suggested that the opposing camps would spend Wednesday and perhaps Thursday reviewing the photocopies before returning to the BOE table to conduct the court-ordered re-canvass.

Given the pace of counting thus far, and the prospect of the court having to review even more disputed ballots, the election may not be decided for weeks.

“The election isn’t over until the Board certifies the result,” Padavan said.

Subpoenas in Contested State Senate Race Draw Anger by Jonathan P. Hicks - NYTimes.com

Read original...

The unresolved State Senate contest between Senator Frank Padavan, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger, James F. Gennaro, moves on Tuesday into a Queens courtroom, where nearly a dozen college students have been subpoenaed to verify their residences.

Republican lawyers have challenged the votes of students, mostly from St. John’s University, saying that they filled out affidavit ballots with addresses that were not their permanent residences. In the paper ballot count, Mr. Padavan is leading by about 600 votes, but about 1,000 more ballots remained to be counted and the validity of an additional 2,000 must still be reviewed.

While the challenges and subpoenas have angered students, who are being forced to appear during exams, they underscore the high stakes attached to winning the Senate seat in Queens. The Democrats now have at least 32 seats in the Senate, giving them a majority for the first time in more than 40 years. But three dissident Democrats have yet to pledge their support for the would-be majority leader, Malcolm A. Smith. That limits him, at the moment, to 29 votes in the 62-member body.

A victory by Mr. Gennaro would bring the Republicans down to 29 seats and provide Mr. Smith with 30 votes. One of the dissident Democrats, Senator Rubén Díaz Sr., says he would not vote for a Republican leader. So, at the very least, a Gennaro win would improve the prospects for Mr. Smith.

Steven H. Richman, the general counsel at the New York City Board of Elections, said that under state law, a student can vote from a polling place near either his or her permanent address or a college address.

“A college student has the option,” Mr. Richman said. “If you’re living on campus, you have the right to register and vote from that district. Or you can register from your parents’ address. You just can’t vote in two places.”

Democratic officials said they were incensed by the subpoenas. “It’s outrageous that this is the lesson that Republicans want to teach young voters,” said, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “They are teaching students that they can be dragged into court just for fulfilling their civic duty. It’s absolutely outrageous.”

In an interview, Mr. Padavan defended the issuing of the subpoenas. “These students have permanent residences that are great distances from the 11th Senatorial District, as evidenced by their driver’s licenses and other materials,” he said. “The question is whether they are valid voters. And if they are not valid voters, their vote shouldn’t count. It’s as simple as that.”

Cristina Fernandez, a student at St. John’s, said by phone that it was more convenient to vote near the school. “Even though my parents live in Manhattan, I live right here in Queens and didn’t see any reason to vote back in Manhattan when I could register to vote right here in the neighborhood,” said Ms. Fernandez, a senior majoring in accounting.

“I was so excited to vote this year,” she added. “But then I had some man showing up on my doorstep issuing me a subpoena because the Republicans are trying to challenge my vote. So, I have to go to court in the middle of finals, instead of studying. It makes you not want to vote ever again.”