Remembering Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire with Serf Maltese - wnyc radio

Serf Maltese shares memories of his grandmother and two aunts who were amung the 146 victims of the 1911.

Penners Pen > Democrats' Challenge to Republican Senators Padavan and Maltese May Decide Control of State Senate - The Queens Courier Newspaper

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Upstate New York's 48th Senate District recently held a Special Election in which Democrat Darrel Aubertine defeated Republican Will Barclay. Aubertine's victory in a former solidly safe GOP district was a crystal ball into the future political demise of Republican State Senate majority leader Joe Bruno. The Queens Courier November 6th headline may very well read "Queens Democratic State Senate minority leader Malcolm Smith becomes the new State Senate majority leader as a result of the 2008 General Elections returns."

This defeat will have a direct impact on the future careers of Queens GOP Senators Frank Padavan and Serf Maltese, as well as all members of the current Republican State Senate majority.

Members of the GOP State Senate caucus may have regretted not following behind Rockland County GOP Senator John Bonacic. He was the only GOP Senator in 2007 brave enough to openly suggest what many fellow GOP Senators were whispering about behind closed doors, concerning the political future of Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno. In the end, with the exception of Senator Bonacic, they all acted like the cowardly lion from Oz by voting in lock step to reelect Senator Bruno as GOP Senate Majority Leader.

Bruno's strategy of staying in power by cross endorsing Democrats provided short term temporary gains in building his majority to seven votes. In the end, this long-term strategy to stay in power will be seen historically as a failure. Under his leadership, the GOP lost three seats when Senators Hoffman, Espada and Mendez switched from Democrat to Republican and lost when running in the General Election. On Bruno's watch, they also lost the seats of Republican Senators Vellela (Bronx), Goodman (Manhattan) Spano (Westchester) Balboni (Nassau) and now Barclay.

There are too many Senators in their 70's or 80's who continue postponing their retirements in deference to GOP Senate leader Bruno's desire to maintain Republican control of the Senate. In most cases, they have failed to help elect and groom any GOP Assemblymembers in overlapping districts to run for their seats. With no heir apparent, internal GOP polling shows that many of these seats will be lost once the long time Republican Senator retires rather than face reelection or dies in office. Queens GOP Senator Padavan has no heir apparent. Senator Maltese had NYC Councilmember Dennis Gallagher as a potential successor until his recent alleged local sex scandal.

Democrats licked their lips with joy when the GOP Senate caucus reelected Bruno as their leader. This kept Senator Bruno around as a political pinata for Democrats who now need only one more seat to control the Senate, which is the last New York GOP bastion. Senator Bruno along with the New York State GOP Committee and the New York State GOP Senate campaign committee probably remind Democrats of the Three Stooges. They just can't get anything right including winning elections in districts with favorable gerrymandered boundaries, enrollment edges of more Republicans than Democrats, a bushel full of special interest Pay for Play cash, endorsements, contributions, volunteers and telephone banks from Local Union 1199 Health and Hospital Workers, United Federation of Teachers and others on the receiving end of favorable pension or other legislation from Bruno and Senate Republicans. These elections in the past would have ended up as easy wins for Republicans. No wonder Democrats in Albany are laughing and smiling more these days as Father Time is clearly on their side.

The loss of Senator Barclay's seat has dropped Bruno's increasingly shrinking majority to a record low one-seat margin. This was never the case under past GOP State Senate majority leaders Warren Anderson and Ralph Marino. This puts them on the path to join their junior GOP partners in the Assembly, as members of the Senate minority after the 2008 elections if not sooner.

The Queens County Democratic clubhouse machine campaign to make Democratic State Senator Malcolm Smith majority leader in 2008 has been underway for months. They are running well-known New York City Council members Joseph Addabbo (against Senator Maltese) and James Gennaro (against Senator Padavan). Both NYC Councilmembers Addabbo and Gennaro already have high name recognition in their communities. Electoral boundaries for NYC Council districts overlap with those of the State Senate districts. Both Addabbo and Gennaro as Democratic State Senate candidates will each have hundreds of thousands of dollars at their disposal from the newly reinvigorated Democratic Statewide Senate campaign committee. Plenty of special interest, union, business and other groups will be investing their pay for play money by switching their bets from the GOP to Democrats. They will want to insure future access to a Democratic controlled Senate. The overwhelming cash advantages both Maltese and Padavan had in the past running against token Democrats, with no funding to mount real challenges, will disappear.

Unions such as New York State AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 1199 and New York State United Teachers who formerly gave big bucks to the GOP State Senate campaign committee, frequently endorsed both Padavan and Maltese along with providing volunteers and telephone banks will be returning to their natural Democratic ancestral home. Both Democratic challengers Addabbo and Gennaro will also have automatic access to several hundred of their union hall and equal number of local Democratic club house volunteers. In 2008, the odds of both Padavan and Maltese remaining in office will be heavily stacked against them.

Maltese and Padavan will have to run on their records. This includes consistently voting to increase deficits, excessive spending on an annual basis twice to three times the rate of inflation, supporting several hundred million dollars worth of yearly member item pork barrel projects and adoption of 21 out of the past 23 budgets late. Under their watch, NYS is number two nationally in debt. Each resident is responsible for $3,515 of the $50 billion total. State debt grew from $27 billion in 1995 to $50 billion today. Future red ink may raise this to $54 billion by 2009. NYS public authorities debt is $72 billion. These combined liabilities plus interest total $187 billion dollars. The voting records for both Maltese and Padavan have over time gone from being conservative Republicans to RINO (Republicans In Name Only) GOP Senators. Ironically, their Democratic opponents Addabbo and Gennaro may actually be able to run to the right of both claiming to be the real fiscal conservatives.

The long time political truce between the Queens GOP and Democrats has ended with the local Democrats aggressively working to defeat both Maltese and Padavan. With the exception of past former GOP Queens State Assemblymember Doug Prescott, NYC Councilmembers Mike Abel and Anthony Stabile -- the Queens GOP has never run serious candidates with ample funding to challenge any sitting NYC Council, State Assembly, State Senate or Congressional incumbent Democrat office holder, open general election seat or special election contest. This has gone on for decades. The last time Queens Republicans won a special election to fill any vacancy was with State Senator Sheldon Farber in 1977. He went on to lose the general election that same year. Virtually every Queens County Democratic elected official will end up with a free pass in the 2008 General Election. This frees up vast resources of the Queens Democratic Party organization to actively campaign against Senators Maltese and Padavan, rather than sitting on their hands, which they did in past elections.

I predict today that the switch of both seats from Republican to Democratic or one from Queens combined with another loss elsewhere will be end decades of GOP control of the State Senate. This will be the final inheritance left behind by former GOP Governor Pataki and Senate majority leader Bruno condemning their party to permanent minority status in the great Empire State at all levels of government. Not to worry, gentleman Joe Bruno and other GOP State Senators who may be retiring at the end of 2008 just like former Governor George Pataki will have a nice pension, a "golden parachute" at taxpayers expense to assist in enjoying future years of retirement. Don't be surprised to see if they stay around the halls of Albany as well compensated lobbyists.

With or Without Democratic Line, Baldeo Plans Senate Rematch by Adam Pincus - City Hall News

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Albert Baldeo does not care that state and local Democratic leaders want him to stay out of the race against State Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Queens). After surprising nearly everyone with the margin of his loss to Maltese in 2006—with virtually no support, he came within 1,000 votes over the ten-term incumbent—Baldeo is determined to run again, and is revving up for a largely self-financed insurgent campaign for the Democratic nomination.

He will be in the race no matter what, he said, and is willing to devote his own money and much of his time to fighting all the way to November.

“The voters in the district want change,” he said. “We are here for reform. We are not beholden to special interests, lobbyists and Democratic bosses.”

Baldeo currently has more money on hand than Maltese or his expected Democratic rival, City Council Member Joseph Addabbo.

The campaign for the seat, which stretches from Maspeth and Middle Village through South Ozone Park to Howard Beach, could cost more than $3 million between the candidates, insiders said, especially with the GOP’s now one-seat majority in the Senate. Like most of Queens, the district has a large number of immigrants. Half its population— made up largely of Italians, Irish, South Asians, Guyanese and Hispanics—is estimated to be first or second generation. Baldeo is himself a native of Guyana.

Addabbo said he will run on his record from two terms on the Council. He expects state and county party support, he said, but also hopes for Republican backing.

“Every community is different in my district, and I have answered each community according to their needs,” he said.

Addabbo said he expects to formally announce his candidacy in March or April.

At 75, Maltese is nearly 30 years older than either rival, but he said he is a hard-working author of more than 200 bills who delivers for his district and stays in touch by attending a daunting schedule of civic and religious gatherings.

“I love this job; I love what I do,” he said, adding, “You have to ask others if my mind is still sharp.”

He said he has been pledged support by Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer) in both help and money.

“Senator Bruno indicated if I need it he would commit over $1 million to the race,” he said.

Maltese has raised more than Baldeo and Addabbo over the past year—$214,245—but after paying hefty campaign bills, was left with only $89,694 on hand as of his January campaign finance filing.

As of that same filing, Baldeo had raised $57,820 and Addabbo had raised $74,745.

Baldeo also loaned his campaign $243,000 over the last year, giving him more than $309,000 on hand, according to the records. He said the money was earned from his work as an immigration attorney, and through real estate and financial investments.

Addabbo has $77,709 on hand, including $25,000 in transfers from two Council campaign funds that were not registered with the state Board of Elections.

Democrats insist Addabbo will get sufficient funds from the party, noting Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith, a fellow Queens Democrat, is headlining a fundraiser in April for him to do just that.

Already through Smith, Addabbo also received $28,500 in three contributions from liberal philanthropist George Soros and his family.

The close election in 2006, in which Baldeo lost to Maltese by 894 votes, should not give Baldeo any advantage with the party, a Democratic consultant said.

“The fact that Baldeo has run before does not give him some kind of hold on the nomination," said Scott Levenson, a political consultant close to the state Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.

Addabbo, Levenson added, “is widely respected by voters on both sides of the aisle and that is what it is going to take to win.”
Michael Reich, executive secretary to the Queens Democratic Party, said Addabbo would make the stronger candidate against Maltese.

If Baldeo were to win the nomination, Reich said, “I feel our odds of winning the seat will be severely diminished.”

Baldeo countered that Addabbo was out of touch with the changing community, charging that the Council member should have supported a Guyanese family in a dispute in largely white Howard Beach last year.
Addabbo said the dispute was not racially motivated, as Baldeo believes, and suggested that Baldeo was trying to misrepresent his position ahead of their upcoming primary battle.

“This situation that Albert labeled me a racist for, I think was a poor excuse for him to use this for political gain,” Addabbo said.

Baldeo plans to make campaign issues of that incident and “the fact that he has shunned minority staff,” he said, noting that though Addabbo’s Council district is largely white, “the Senate district is not reflective of the City Council district. It is a totally different ball game here.”

Addabbo said he had no minorities among eight full-time and several part-time staff members, but that he was color-blind when he selected applicants.

“It is not the fact that I look not to hire. It is a question of who has applied for me and who is willing to do the work that I do. I demand a lot from my staff,” he said.

Baldeo pledged to fight on, even if he lost the party nomination. Even if not running as a Democrat, he expects thousands of the Democrats who voted for him in 2006 would vote for him in a 2008 general election.

And he intends to give them that opportunity, no matter how the primary goes.

“My game plan,” he said, “is to seek as many third-party lines and form my own third-party line."

Times Ledger - NYRA inks agreement to remain at Aqueduct

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State lawmakers and the New York Racing Association agreed on a deal last week, leaving NYRA in control of the Aqueduct Race Track in South Ozone Park.

Under the deal, NYRA retains its franchise of the state's race tracks for another 25 years while withdrawing its ownership claims on the land where the tracks are situated, Gov. Eliot Spitzer said in a statement.

The state would also give NYRA $105 million to help it emerge from bankruptcy proceedings.

Video lottery terminals, devices similar to slot machines, will be installed at Aqueduct. The machines are expected to generate more than $300 million in revenue for the state, which would go toward funding education, the governor said.

The agreement also answered the concerns of Queens state legislators whose districts cover Aqueduct.

As part of the deal, the Ozone Howard Little League, which has baseball fields on Aqueduct land, will continue to have the land leased to it by the state.

"Aqueduct is the most accessible track in New York and is critical to the future of racing in New York state and I am very pleased with the agreement," said state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio (D-Richmond Hill) in a joint statement with state Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach) and state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale).

The three legislators also called for the Aqueduct advisory board to consist mostly of members from Community Board 10, which covers the racetrack.

A new, 25-person NYRA board of directors - 11 to be appointed by lawmakers and 14 by NYRA's existing board of directors - will also be created under the deal.

Negotiations are underway with "interested private parties" to install the VLTs, the governor said. He said those talks should be completed within a month.

While the three legislators who represent Aqueduct were in favor of the VLTs, state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose), a gambling opponent, was concerned that the machines would increase problem gambling in Queens.

"Make no mistake, this legislation sets a dangerous precedent and opens the door to more VLTs in Queens," Padavan said in a statement. "I stand in steadfast opposition to placing VLTs in our community. As I have said before, we are only gambling our future away if these proposals are enacted."

Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.

Struggle for Senate Starts Early - Times Union - Albany NY

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ALBANY -- If a race for one seat in the North Country is any indication, this year's battle for control of the state Senate will be a long, bitter fight across New York.

In next Tuesday's special election to succeed Watertown Republican James Wright, the two assemblymen vying for the seat have so far spent over $1.2 mostly from contributions by the state Republican and Democratic parties.

In what is poised to be the second-most expensive state Senate contest ever -- the most expensive state Senate election in history cost over $5 million -- Democrat Darrel Aubertine of Cape Vincent is opposed by Republican Will Barclay of Pulaski. Barclay's father, H. Douglas Barclay, represented the heavily GOP 48th District from 1965 to 1984. By last count, Republicans outnumber Democrats 78,454 to 46,824 with 34,665 unaffiliated voters.

Barclay and Aubertine each lead in different internal campaign polls, officials of each party say.

The stakes are high: Republicans hold a one-seat majority in the Senate since Wright, 59, retired after 15 years. By stepping down in January, he made sure that the special election would not take place on Super Tuesday when the presidential primary drew a huge Democratic turnout.

If the Democrats gain a majority in November, when every seat in the state Legislature is up for grabs, the party would control the Senate and the Assembly and the governor's, comptroller's and attorney general's offices, at least until 2010, when voters will once again decide on all those jobs.

Republicans have held the Senate majority for seven decades, except for an 11-month period in 1965. In recent years, the Democrats' statewide enrollment edge over Republicans has increased to 5.4 million voters to 3 million.

"The tide is moving against Republican control of the Senate," said Douglas Muzzio, political science professor at Baruch College in Manhattan.

This year's presidential race will undoubtedly affect state and local campaigns. To what extent is unclear.

On Super Tuesday, when Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Barack Obama by a 57-40 percent margin, nearly 1.8 million Democrats voted, 32 percent of the party's enrollment. For the GOP ballot, 20 percent voted.

"We saw record-breaking turnout across every demographic and geography," said state Democratic Party spokesman Jonathan Rosen. The primary turnout bodes well for Democrats in November, he said.

While Rudolph Giuliani's departure from the race for president could lower GOP turnout in November, Republicans believe that having John McCain at the top of the ticket will help them maintain the state Senate majority, said GOP spokesman Matthew Walter.

Whatever coattails come with the presidential election, observers such as Muzzio said Senate races will be run, and won, on a local level.

"You've got septuagenarians and octogenarians running the Senate," Muzzio said. "They are in districts that are majority (Democratic) or trending that way."

Senate contests fitting this profile are heating up the earliest: Queens Republican Sens. Serphin Maltese and Frank Padavan already have Democratic contenders lining up.

In both those districts, Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2-1, and have for decades, yet both senators have held on term after term. Padavan easily won in 2006, but political newcomer Albert Baldeo came within 800 votes of beating Maltese.

A key part of the Republicans' strategy is to regain seats lost over the past two years. In Westchester, Republicans are seeking to oust Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who won a razor-thin victory in 2006 over nine-term incumbent Nick Spano.

On Long Island, Republicans plan to run hard against Sen. Craig Johnson, who replaced Republican Michael Balboni when he became Gov. Eliot Spitzer's homeland security chief.

Last year, with his approval ratings high, the governor angered Senate Republicans by injecting himself into Johnson's race.

Now, with his poll numbers down and his efforts to work better with the Legislature, Spitzer hasn't been involved publicly in next week's special election.

Statewide, Republican campaigns will focus on their opponents' voting records, in some cases faulting them for voting for last year's budget, which the GOP contends hurt local hospitals and schools. The party plans to focus on local needs, according to Walter. That strategy can favor incumbents with seniority and track records as well as the clout to sprinkle state money around their districts.

Walter said Stewart-Cousins and Johnson, among other Democrats, are being targeted because they "take positions that are out of step with their constituents' needs" like advocating for driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and "asking for (legislative) pay raises by shouting 'show me the money.' "

Muzzio advises GOP candidates to "go to their favorite house of worship and light candles ... and make these elections as local as possible. Talk about the power of the incumbent." Jay Liu can be reached at 454-5081 or by e-mail at iliu@timesunion.com.

CONTESTS TO WATCH

3rd Distict

Incumbent: Caesar Trunzo, R-Brentwood

Challenger: Jimmy Dahroug

By the numbers: Democrat Dahroug has run against Trunzo twice before. Trunzo won in 2006 with 53 percent of the vote and Working Families Party support.

7th District

Incumbent: Craig Johnson, D-Port Washington

Challenger: None declared

By the numbers: Johnson won special election in February to replace Republican Michael Balboni, who become Gov. Eliot Spitzer's homeland security chief. Republicans have targeted this as a seat to reclaim.

11th District:

Incumbent: Frank Padavan, R-Bellerose

Challenger: City Councilman James Gennaro, D-Fresh Meadows, a member is widely expected to run.

By the numbers: Padavan, an 18-term incumbent, won with 56 percent of the in 2006, despite Democratic 83,950 to 32,360 enrollment edge.

15th District:

Incumbent: Serphin Maltese, R-Middle Village

Challenger: City Councilman Joseph Addabbo, D-Howard Beach, or Albert Baldeo.

By the numbers: Democrat Baldeo came within 800 votes of defeating Maltese in 2006.

23rd District:

Incumbent: Diane Savino, D-Staten Island

Challenger: None declared.

By the numbers: Savino had no opponent in this overwhelming Democratic district, but Republicans say they are targeting it.

34rd District:

Incumbent: Jeffrey Klein, D-Bronx

Challenger: None declared.

By the numbers: Two-term incumbent Klein won with 61 percent of the vote in 2006. Longtime GOP Sen. Guy Velella quit in 2004 after his bribery conviction.

35th District:

Incumbent: Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers

Challenger: Nicholas Spano is considering.

By the numbers: In 2006, Stewart-Cousins unseated Spano, 51-49 percent.

48th District:

Contenders: Democrat Darrel Aubertine and Republican Will Barclay running to replace James Wright, R-Watertown, in Feb. 26 special election

By the numbers: Win by Aubertine would leave the Republicans with a one-seat majority. Each party has contributed more than $600,000 in the campaign.

49th District:

Incumbent: David Valesky, D-Oneida

Challenger: None declared.

By the numbers: Enrollment is almost even, with 61,831 Democrats to 61,561 Republicans. Valesky beat Republican Jeff Brown in 2006, 59-41 percent.

56th District:

Incumbent: Joseph Robach, R-Greece

Challengers: Brighton Supervisor Sandra Frankel has entered the race. candidacy. Fellow Democrats Richard Dollinger and Willa Powell are mentioned as possible candidates.

By the numbers: Dollinger resigned as Brighton Town Justice for a possible run for the seat he held from 1993 to 2002. Robach beat Powell 66-34 percent in 2006. District enrollment is 76,225 Democrats and 45,123 Republican.

In State Senate, Aging Fingers Cling to Power - New York Times

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Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

Caesar Trunzo, 81, a Republican state senator from Long Island, has made it clear that he will run for re-election in the fall.

ALBANY — Last year was a tough one for State Senator Caesar Trunzo.

Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

Caesar Trunzo, 81, a Republican state senator from Long Island, has made it clear that he will run for re-election in the fall.

He slipped on the steps of a restaurant here after a Republican reception, broke three ribs and missed much of the legislative session in February. Then his wife became ill and had a kidney removed, so he missed most of April, tending to her.

“And then in June, she fell and broke her ankle,” he said.

But Mr. Trunzo, of Long Island, who is 81 and arrived in Albany when Nelson Rockefeller was governor, has made one thing clear to his fellow Republicans: He will run for re-election in the fall.

The Republicans are desperate to hang on to their two-seat majority in the Senate in November. But doing so relies on the staying power of an increasingly older bloc of senators, some with health problems and some with challengers a third their age.

Fifteen of the 32 Republican senators will be at least 65 by November. Seven will be at least 75.

All but one of them have agreed, at the urging of the Senate majority leader, the 78-year-old Joseph L. Bruno, to run for re-election and try to fight off a Democratic effort to gain control in the Senate for the first time in four decades.

Senator Owen Johnson, a Long Island Republican who is 79, said he would remain in office “till the Lord calls you away, I guess.”

Senator William J. Larkin Jr., a Hudson Valley Republican who is 80, said he had no retirement plans “unless the guy upstairs does.”

Democrats, who have begun an aggressive campaign against several senators, are raising the subject of age, though often gingerly, with suggestions that the silver-haired senators do not represent modern New York. Only two Democratic senators have reached the age of 70.

In a recent radio interview, the minority leader, Malcolm Smith, said that Senate Republicans, like the presidential candidate John McCain, represented “yesteryear.”

“It has nothing to do with age,” added Mr. Smith, a Queens Democrat. “It has to do with an old way of thinking.”

Christopher Bodkin, an Islip Town Board member and a Democrat, is considering challenging Mr. Trunzo, who is 21 years his senior. Mr. Bodkin likened the situation with the Senate Republicans to the United States Senate: “Look at Strom Thurmond: They just kept him going and going because they needed to hang on to a slim majority.”

“I certainly won’t challenge Senator Trunzo on his age,” he said. “He’s there and going back and forth to his district and so forth. I will run on the theme that it’s absolutely time for a change.”

The battle for the Senate is expected to be intense, and several factors suggest it could be especially hard for Republicans this year. Democrats are hoping for a huge turnout for their candidates because of the excitement over the presidential election. And Mr. Bruno, the state’s top Republican, is being shadowed by a federal investigation into his business activities.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who has had scandals of his own to contend with, has made no secret of his desire to reclaim the Senate. His political team has been aggressively raising money to help finance Democratic challengers. But the long-serving Republicans — the group includes veterans of World War II and the Korean War — stress that they are rallying around Mr. Bruno, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of Mr. Spitzer.

Strategists on both sides said that the Republican with the most tenuous grip on his seat is Serphin Maltese of Queens, who came within a few hundred votes of losing to a largely unknown candidate in 2006. Mr. Maltese, 75, is expected to face a far more prominent challenger this year, City Councilman Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., 43.

Mr. Maltese said that he had discussed his re-election bid with Mr. Bruno and that they agreed he needed to rely on the deep pockets of Mr. Bruno’s political operation.

“The realism is that there are a number of us over 70,” Mr. Maltese said. “I’m sure he’s had a conversation with all of us and had a conversation with me a while ago. And he said, ‘Are you planning to run?’ And I said yes, and he said he’d protect me.”

Doug Forand, a top political strategist for Senate Democrats, suggested that robust challenges to some of the elderly Republicans may test their physical stamina.

“Honestly, I think the changing enrollment of the state and the changing political attitudes are the stronger political indicator than the age of their conference, but the reality is that it’s not so much age as it is physical frailty,” Mr. Forand said.

“It does make it harder to campaign,” he added. “That’s going to be a challenge for somebody in Senator Trunzo’s condition.”

Mr. Trunzo, however, said during an interview this week that he was feeling much better this session and was keeping a busy political schedule.

“You know, I’m 81 years old right now, but I don’t feel like it,” he said, smiling as he walked through the halls of the State Capitol. “I was out to how many functions on Saturday and Sunday? I went to four fire departments on Saturday night, and yesterday afternoon, I drove up here.”

Mr. Larkin, who recently turned 80, like Mr. Bodkin, cited parallels with the United States Senate. But he viewed the presence of very senior members there as evidence of the value of longevity.

“Look at Mr. Byrd, Mr. Kennedy,” he said, referring to Senator Robert C. Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat who is 90, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who is 75. “It isn’t your age as much as it is your ability to function and worry about what you’re doing.”

One day last week, Mr. Larkin sat on one of the plush green couches in a lofty hall abutting the Senate chamber. He wore a charcoal suit and an alumni ring from Officer Candidates School, which he attended in 1948. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army. Before and after sessions, he can often be found here, in “his office,” as he calls it, listening to the entreaties of lobbyists.

“This is my 30th year,” he said, grinning. “Yesterday, I was 80 years old, so I’m in not too bad shape, right?”

Mr. Bruno says he has been using a soft sell to urge the men who have been his colleagues for decades to run for re-election.

“My philosophy is people have to do what’s in their hearts and their own minds,” he said. “If they are committed and want to stay in public service, they’ll stay, and when I’ve talked to them, all of them, that’s kind of what I say. Make up your own minds, make up your own judgments. Of course I’d like to have them stay.”

Asked whether age was an issue for his party, Mr. Bruno said: “You know, everything’s relative. What is old? Everybody has to make their own judgments on life, and experience means a lot.”

Then he told a reporter who was less than half his age: “I’m older than you are, and so that counts for something.”

Times Ledger - District Leader Endorsed in 2009 Race for City Council by Howard Koplowitz

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City Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) last week endorsed Frank Gulluscio for his council seat, which Addabbo will be forced out of in 2009 due to term limits.

Gulluscio, a Democratic district leader who is also the district manager of Community Board 6 and a former Addabbo staffer, also picked his first organizational endorsement last week from the South Queens Democratic Club.

"I'm really excited about and motivated by the two endorsements," Gulluscio said in a phone interview Monday.

"I've known Frank for the better part of my adult life," Addabbo said in a phone interview Monday, noting that he and Gulluscio were both local activists. "Frank just by far has the best experience. From day one, he could start working for the people in his district. It would be a seamless transition from my service to his."

Addabbo said Gulluscio "got to see firsthand the legislative aspects" of being a city councilman when Gulluscio, a former teacher, worked on education issues for him.

"I was literally in every school in the district," Gulluscio said.

"What I like about Frank is he's prepared," Addabbo said. "He saw firsthand the job of a city councilman."

Gulluscio is the only Democrat so far to declare his candidacy for Addabo's seat. Republican district leader Erich Ulrich also said he would run.

"The election is about character, leadership and experience," Gulluscio said. "I stress experience. I've proven myself to the community in all shapes and forms."

Addabbo announced his support for Gulluscio during the South Queens Democratic Club meeting Jan. 30, when the club also voted to endorse Gulluscio.

While Addabbo's term expires in 2009, the election to succeed him may be held next year if the councilman is successful in his bid to unseat state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale).

A special election would be held for Addabbo's seat should he oust Maltese. Richmond Hill attorney Albert Baldeo, a Democrat, is also running against Maltese.

Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.

The Queens Courier - Gulluscio Joins CD32 Race by Victor Mimoni

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More than a year before citywide elections, races are already shaping up all over Queens and the 32nd Council District (CD32) is no exception.

On Wednesday, January 30 Frank Gulluscio, a Democratic district leader, Community Board 6 district manager and former chief-of-staff to Councilmember Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. announced his candidacy to take his former bosses seat.

Gulluscio, 60, will face Republican district leader Eric A. Ulrich, 22 in a 2009 election, the date of which hinges on a State Senate race this year, pitting Addabbo against 20-year senate veteran Serphin Maltese.

Should Addabbo, who is term-limited out of the Council in 2009, unseat Maltese, a special election would be held next February; should Maltese survive yet another challenge this year, Ulrich and Gulluscio, the presumptive Democratic candidate, will face the voters next November.

Other potential candidates, John Patrick Larkin and Lew M. Simon have been mentioned, but only Gulluscio and Ulrich have filed with the Campaign Finance Board (CFB), a prerequisite to actual candidacy in New York City.

Larkin, 43, is a Rockaway activist and kids’ sports coach. Simon, also a Democratic district leader, lost to Addabbo in the 2001 primary.

Gulluscio, a former schoolteacher and businessman has raised less than $5,000 according to CFB records, compared to nearly $19,000 for Ulrich. He dismisses the disparity in war chests by pointing out that he hasn’t been out campaigning. “Look at me in July,” he said, in reference to the next filing date for contributions.

“I've been 22. I know how 22-year-olds act and walk and talk,” said Gulluscio of the relatively inexperienced Ulrich. “We need someone from Day One who's not going to ask where the bathroom is,” he quipped.

Ulrich, who won his district leader post last September after a narrow defeat two years before, is currently a graduate student at St. John’s University in Flushing. He has expressed confidence that “a [younger] guy like me who can knock on more doors” can prevail.

At its January meeting, the Queens County Republicans gave Ulrich a unanimous endorsement, and pledge of campaign support. “We not going to concede any races,” said Phil Ragusa, county chair.

“Eric is a dynamic young man who will represent his district well in the City Council, and we’re going to give him all the help we can.” Ragusa said.

NY Sun - GOP Control of State Senate in Jeopardy by Jacob Gershman

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A confluence of surprising political developments has put the Republican control of the state Senate in real jeopardy for the first time in decades, according to veteran Republican Albany operatives.

The great survivalists of state politics, Senate Republicans and their 78-year-old leader, Joseph Bruno, have a long history of defying the odds and eking out victories in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than five to three.

The crumbling of Governor Spitzer's popularity last year brought a fresh sense of hope among Republicans that they would again repel advances by Senate Democrats in this November's legislative races.

This past month, however, Republicans have suffered a series of setbacks that have sharply increased confidence among Democrats and Mr. Spitzer that their party will imminently take over the chamber, where Republicans lead by 32 seats to 29.

These events include the unexpected retirement of two Republican state senators, a closer-than-expected contest for an open seat, the emergence of a new crop of viable Democratic candidates, and a revived federal investigation of Mr. Bruno.

"Anyone who's not anxious in this type of climate is not being realistic," a veteran Republican lobbyist said. "There is more concern than there has ever been before. There has to be concern."

Lawmakers say the perilous state of the Republican conference has filled the Capitol building with a tension that has overshadowed budget negotiations and other normal legislative business in the early days of the session.

Last year's profanity-strewn shouting matches between Messrs. Spitzer and Bruno have given way to a quiet entrenchment with few direct encounters.

"Obviously, with the two-vote margin, we're concerned about any future losses. Just do the math," a Republican senator of Elmira, George Winner, said.

He said he and his colleagues remain confident, predicting that voters would refuse to hand Mr. Spitzer "unilateral power."

For Mr. Spitzer, who has openly declared his desire to oust Mr. Bruno and his party from power, the darkening landscape for Republicans is of huge importance for a governorship that has been paralyzed by bitter disputes between his administration and the majority leader.

Owing to his control over his party's purse strings, Mr. Spitzer wields much influence over the Senate Democratic leadership, which he would expect to unite behind his agenda if they come to power.

For Republicans, the most pressing concern is a February 26 special election in the North Country that was triggered by the retirement of Senator James Wright, who has served since the early 1990s.

The race pits two popular assemblymen against each other: Democrat Darrel Aubertine, a former dairy farmer who has railed against upstate companies that have relocated out of New York despite taking state grants, and Republican Will Barclay, who comes from a well-known political family in Oswego County.

An overwhelmingly Republican seat covering a wide swath of land, the 48th district was assumed to be safely in Republican hands.

Democrats and Republicans interviewed said polling data, which is more unreliable in gauging special elections, is indicating a tight race.

A Democratic win would be traumatic for Republicans and could prompt additional retirements of members, eight of whom are 73 years old or older, or persuade others to abandon the party, Republican and Democratic Albany observers said in interviews.

"There are people who will consider what else they want to do with their lives. It just starts to snowball," a lobbyist close to the Senate Republicans said.

"If Aubertine wins that seat, it's a whole other story," a Republican lobbyist said. "They would be hanging by their nails."

Another Republican lobbyist interviewed said a loss could even persuade Mr. Bruno, who has served as majority leader since 1995 and has given no indication of retiring, to decide against seeking re-election.

Adding to the uncertainty facing Mr. Bruno are reports this week that federal investigators are examining his relationship with Albany-area unions that invested millions of dollars of pension fund money with a Connecticut investment firm where the majority leader was employed.

A week earlier, Republicans were dealt more bad news when a senator of Erie County, Mary Lou Rath, announced that she would not seek re-election.

A Republican assemblyman, Jim Hayes, whom Mr. Bruno had hoped would compete for the seat in November, surprised many by saying he wasn't interested and would rather preserve his leadership post in the Democrat-controlled Assembly.

Meanwhile, Democrats are targeting with new intensity Joseph Robach's 56th district seat, which covers Rochester.

This week, the Democratic town justice of Brighton, Richard Dollinger, who occupied the seat between 1993 and 2002, announced he was resigning and was considering challenging Mr. Robach, a former Democrat.

A competitive race is also emerging in Queens, where Serphin Maltese, who was re-elected by a slight margin in 2006, is expected to face a fierce challenge from a City Council member, Joseph Addabbo.

In recent years, as the Senate Democratic conference has inched closer to the majority, Republicans have intensified fund-raising efforts, recalibrated their positions to appeal to more liberal constituents, and joined forces with organized labor.

Mr. Spitzer's election in 2006, which brought a Democrat into the governor's house for the first time in 12 years, provided a new sense of purpose to the Republicans' struggle, allowing them to cast it as a resistance against one-party control.

A year ago, Mr. Spitzer sought to topple Mr. Bruno's majority from within. The governor invited members of the senator's conference to his executive chambers, making individual appeals to them to join his party or his administration.

While the governor made his overtures, Senate Democrats boasted that it was a matter of only days before they took control. Republicans, however, closed ranks behind Mr. Bruno and rebuffed Mr. Spitzer, whose clashes with the Senate leader only drew them closer together.

"I honestly think that very few observers believe that they will pick up any of our seats, and I think there's very little chance of sustaining all of the seats they've got now," a Democratic senator of Manhattan, Eric Schneiderman, said. "I think the people of New York are moving away from the Republican Party."

Times Ledger - Maltese, Padavan Gear Up to Face Challengers by Nathan Duke

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State Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) has so far raised more money to retain his seat during this year's election than either of his two Democratic challengers following a slim victory in his 2006 re-election bid, according to the latest Campaign Finance Board filings.

Maltese will once again attempt to fend off Ozone Park private practice attorney Albert Baldeo after narrowly defeating the Guyanese-born Democrat in 2006. The senator may also face a new challenger, City Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who has hinted at a run for the seat. The race is shaping up to be one of the most contentious in the borough.

Sen. Frank Padavan (D-Bellerose), the borough's other Republican state senator, is also expected to face at least one challenger during this fall's election when City Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) is widely expected to run for the seat.

Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer has targeted Queens' two Republican senators as part of a campaign to gain control of the state Senate, where the GOP has a small four-seat majority.

City Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Corona) is also expected to go for a rematch against state Sen. John Sabini (D-Jackson Heights) following his defeat in 2006.

Maltese, 74, has raised $214,245 since January 2007 for this fall's upcoming election during which the senator will attempt to hold onto his Albany seat for the 10th time since being elected to the Senate in 1988, Campaign Finance Board filings showed. The senator defeated Baldeo by a slim 900 votes during the 2006 Senate race.

Baldeo, whose campaign was not backed by the state organization or Queens Democratic Party, will once again square off against Maltese for his seat in a race that promises to match the 2006 contest in its contentiousness. According to the latest filings, Baldeo has raised $62,820 since January 2007.

But both Maltese and Baldeo will confront a new competitor for the seat since Addabbo is widely expected to throw his hat into the race as he faces term limits that will force him out of office in 2009. Addabbo, who was re-elected to the Council in 2005 and has hinted at a state Senate run, has raised $99,745 since January 2006, the filings showed.

Maltese's 15th Senate District covers Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Howard Beach, Woodhaven, Maspeth, Forest Hills, Woodside, Glendale and Middle Village. Padavan will also likely face a Democratic challenger this year after party insiders named Gennaro, who will be term limited out of office in 2009, as a probable rival. Padavan has raised $85,220 since January 2007, the latest filings show, while Gennaro has raised $286,017 during that same period of time.

Monserrate, who was defeated by Sabini in the 2006 primary by only 247 votes, is also expected to run against the senator for a second time. Monserrate has raised $95,429 since January 2007, while Sabini has raised $139,280 during that period.

State Sens. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), George Onorato (D-Astoria), Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) and Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) are also up for re-election.

Stavisky has raised $54,358 since January 2007, according to the Campaign Finance Board, while Onorato has raised $65,150, Huntley has raised $3,430 and Smith has raised $864,341 during that same period of time.

Maltese's narrow 2006 win came as a surprise because the senator had been expected to easily defeat Baldeo in the race. In February 2007, Maltese stepped down from his 10-year tenure as the chairman of the Queens County Republican Party and was replaced by former Vice Chairman Phil Ragusa. Maltese had said that he left the position to focus on his 2008 reelection campaign.

Baldeo's previous challenge to Maltese made for one of the closest of the 2006 races in the borough. Both candidates accused each other of smear tactics during the race and said they were investigating alleged voter intimidation at the polls.

Addabbo said he had previously considered running for Maltese's seat in 1996 and again at the recommendation of Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006.

City Limits: News for NYC's Nonprofit, Policy and Activist World

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State Republican and Democratic strategists don't agree on much, but on one thing they do concur: Control of the New York State Senate could come down to what happens in a sliver of southern Queens from Maspeth down to Howard Beach. In the handful of communities known as the 15th senatorial district, presidential politics, ethnic rivalry, the vagaries of incumbency and local issues are competing for voters' attention as Democrats try to replace Republican State Senator Serphin Maltese.

Depending on whom you ask, Maltese's seat is the only competitive state Senate race in the city, or one of a few vulnerable Republican districts, or merely the GOP counterpart to several Democratic seats that are also at risk. But under any scenario, the contest in Maltese's district will loom large because of the tight margin in Albany's upper chamber – whose control will determine the fate of Gov. Spitzer's agenda and affect policies from school aid to congestion pricing.

Republicans now hold a 33-29 advantage in the state Senate, after picking up a seat in 2006 and another in a special election last year. After 69 years of nearly uninterrupted Republican control, Democrats' winning just two more seats will split the Senate evenly, shifting control to them, because Democratic Lt. Gov. David Paterson can break ties. An upcoming special election in the upstate 48th district where GOP incumbent Sen. Jim Wright is retiring has Democrats hopeful that, come November – when all state Senate and Assembly seats are up for election – they'll need just one more seat to take charge.

That calculus will likely mean a major infusion of party resources into the race against Maltese. Republicans, meanwhile, say they are going after as many as eight Democratic senators in New York City, not with a realistic hope of winning all of them but in order to force the Democrats to divert money from attacking Republicans to defending their own seats.

History favors the incumbents. In 2006, 11 of the city's 28 Senate seats weren't even contested by the major parties. In districts where both major parties did field candidates, the opposition usually lost by huge margins. Registration figures foreshadowed these outcomes: In some districts, there are 10 Democrats for each Republican. But tradition plays a role, too; that's why four city seats remain in Republican hands despite their registration disadvantage.

Two of those seats, held by Sen. Martin Golden in Brooklyn and Sen. Andrew Lanza in Staten Island, are not presently considered competitive, according to interviews with strategists from both parties. But they say Maltese's seat is up for grabs, and Republican Sen. Frank Padavan's district – spanning the Bronx, Queens, and western Long Island – could be competitive.

Since 1988, Maltese has represented the district composed of Maspeth, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Glendale, Woodhaven, Howard Beach, parts of Ozone Park and other areas. In 2006, Albert Baldeo, an unknown Democrat running with no party support, came within a few hundred votes of beating Maltese, marking the conservative Republican as vulnerable this year. Baldeo, an attorney, is running again, as is Democratic City Councilman Joe Addabbo. Their nascent primary contest has already turned nasty, with Internet postings charging ethical problems and racial insensitivity. That's all good news for Maltese. "I don’t know why the Democrats keep primary-ing each other," says a leading state Republican operative. "They have to seriously sit down and say, 'We can't let Baldeo and Addabbo kill each other in a primary.'"

Ozone Park native Addabbo says education, transportation and public safety will top his list of issues. One priority is to make sure Mayor Bloomberg retains responsibility for public schools, rather than have them revert to state control. While crime is down, Addabbo says the low pay for starting police officers is a public safety issue – and that low crime statistics don't have everyone convinced. "They are very quick to tell me," says Addabbo of his constituents, "that numbers can be skewed in certain ways."

For his part, Baldeo says that overdevelopment is a major concern, along with the cost of prescription drugs. Running against Maltese (who declined an interview request), Baldeo says he'd highlight the need for a state assault weapons ban and Maltese's "A" rating from the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. But the biggest issue, says Baldeo, is property taxes. "That's really causing a record number of foreclosures in our district and it's causing a lot of working families to lose their homes," he says. "You have the high cost of utilities, and now the property taxes. It's too much for homeowners. A lot of senior citizens are going to lose their homes."

Party games

Padavan is in his 35th year of service in the state Senate from a district that covers much of northeast Queens, from College Point over to Douglaston and down to Jamaica Estates. He faced a late challenge in 2006 from attorney Nora Marino, who posted solid results. This year, City Councilman James Gennaro, a resident of Jamaica Estates, is gearing up to challenge Padavan. As in other districts, education, the economy and quality of life will dominate the conversation, Padavan says. But there are also district-specific issues in the mix: the construction of a new dormitory near St. John's University, the upzoning of parts of Jamaica, and related effects on parking and school crowding. The traffic mitigation plan that emerges from Mayor Bloomberg's commission on congestion could loom large, as might Padavan's longevity in office: Democrats will say it's time for change, while Padavan will point to accomplishments ranging from a tough human trafficking law to the founding years ago of the Queens County Farm Museum.

Republican operatives admit that Maltese is in danger. They say Padavan is less at risk but will face a fight, and they're promising an all-out campaign to defend him. And they claim that there are several Democratic senators in the city who, despite incumbency and heavy registration advantages, are vulnerable.

One is Sen. Jeffrey Klein, who in 2004 replaced jailed Republican leader Guy Vallela in a district that spans the Bronx-Westchester border. Klein spent roughly $1 million to fend off a challenge from Republican Jay Savino in 2006. "That would probably be the only seat that state Republican leaders would consider in play" in the Bronx, says Savino, the borough's GOP chairman. The district next to Klein is that of Sen. Efrain Gonzalez Jr., who despite being under federal indictment did not draw a GOP challenge in 2006. While Gonzalez might face a primary, the GOP is likely to skip that race again, Savino says. "It's very difficult to find a candidate who will run against such a steep registration disadvantage," he explains.

Another state Republican strategist, who asked not to be named when discussing party strategy, named seven other city Democratic senators whom the GOP is targeting – perhaps optimistically, as many observers would consider these safe seats – Sens. Martin Connor, Thomas Duane, Liz Krueger, Bill Perkins, Diane Savino, Eric Schneiderman and Toby Ann Stavisky. The reasons for their supposed vulnerability vary, from being in historic Republican districts (Krueger) to facing a potentially damaging primary (Connor) to being a freshman senator who broke with the Harlem establishment in the presidential contest to back Sen. Barack Obama rather than Sen. Hillary Clinton (Perkins).

The strategist claimed that polling has uncovered weaknesses for most of these Democrats, and that candidates have already been recruited to run against some. Among the major issues, the operative says, will be healthcare – specifically, the legislature's vote to create and empower the commission that in 2006 recommended closing hospitals around the state. Another strand of the Republican attack in some of these districts will be a reflection of the very majority the GOP is trying to defend: That Democrats, because they are the minority party in the Senate, have failed to deliver key money and projects to their districts.

The GOP strategy is still developing. "This is an ongoing polling process," the strategist adds. "We roll our candidates out over six to eight weeks. We don’t want to give away the playbook."

Both sides want to mold perceptions: A race that is deemed "in play" will draw contributions and coverage, which the challenger wants. Republicans, for instance, say Padavan is "untouchable" and won't be beat. Padavan also disputes the idea that he's in jeopardy. "I have run 18 times; this is the 19th time. We run on our record of performance, and if history is any guide my constituents will continue to acknowledge that record," Padavan says. "The district is three-to-one Democratic majority, that’s true, but that doesn’t seem to have been an issue in the past."

Meanwhile, Perkins scoffs at the idea that a Republican is going to win in his overwhelmingly Democratic district in a presidential election year. The Republicans' best chance in the city, he says, would be if former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani were the GOP nominee – and even if that happened, it wouldn't help in Perkins' district of Harlem and the Upper West Side. "Let's just say he's not popular here," Perkins quips. Marty Algaze, chief of staff for Sen. Martin Connor, is just as dismissive. "This district is so heavily Democratic that a Republican wouldn't have a chance," he says of Connor's southern Manhattan – northwest Brooklyn constituency. As for Republican plans to knock off other city Democrats, "They live in a dream world."

Beyond the boroughs

Republicans do have to worry about Senate seats outside the city. They want to win back the Westchester seat that Nick Spano lost to Andrea Stewart-Cousins in 2006. But if Spano decides to skip a rematch, Republicans have two other candidates in mind.

Undoubtedly, the outcome of the 2008 presidential race will be a bigger story this fall than what happens in a handful of state Senate districts. But control of the 62-member body is a prize desperately sought by both parties: Democrats because it would confer control of all the levers of state power, Republicans because the Senate – which they have controlled for all but two of the last 69 years – is their last foothold in that power structure. Both parties know that whoever wins control this time stands a better chance of being at the helm – and thus able to exert influence in party-building ways – when redistricting occurs after the 2010 Census.

William Samuels, a longtime Democratic activist who chairs the Democratic State Senate Campaign Committee, depicts the race as a crossroads for reform; he wants to see a nonpartisan redistricting commission, which Gov. Eliot Spitzer has also backed. "We're not running to win. We're running to get legislation through that's been blocked for decades," Samuels declares. But to win will take old-fashioned money. Democrats have been gearing up for this year's races since before the 2006 election, when Samuels met with major fundraisers to sell them on committing to a big push in '08. Conventional wisdom is that it takes about $1 million to beat an incumbent state senator. Samuels says it's hard to get donors to focus on state Senate races because so few contributors know what these races are about.

"National issues are easy to understand – the war, healthcare. They make it into the papers," Samuels says. "All the issues in Albany get hidden." Samuels is trying to connect state concerns with national ones by pointing out that, with anti-abortion rights groups targeting Roe v. Wade at the national level, New York state has no clear statute guaranteeing a right to abortion – something a Democratic state Senate could change.

National politics surely will influence state Senate races, but it's unclear how or to what extent. Presidential years generate high turnout, and high turnout tends to favor the party with a registration advantage in the district. But there's no guarantee that that advantage will trickle down to the Legislature; after all, Republicans have held on to the Senate even as New York has gone Democratic in the past five presidential elections. Predicting the impact of the national race is even tougher this year because New Yorkers Clinton and Giuliani – who tend to arouse strong feelings among both fans and foes – could head their respective tickets come November. Bloomberg's possible candidacy is another wild card.

As the political year of 2008 progresses, City Limits will take a closer look at some of the issues at play in these linchpin races.

- Jarrett Murphy

Race to seal fate of State Senate? by John Lauinger

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The line in the sand for state Senate supremacy this year runs right through Queens County.

The highly anticipated political showdown between veteran Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) and City Councilman Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) is already gearing up.

Maltese is gunning for his 11th consecutive term and Addabbo is term-limited out of his Council seat. The political stakes couldn't be higher.

With Senate Republicans clinging to a razor-thin two-seat majority, pundits said the Maltese-Addabbo race could be the linchpin that determines who calls the shots in the upper house.

"This is an historic race," said Evan Stavisky, a Democratic political consultant. He noted that if Democrats snatch the Senate from Republicans, redistricting in 2012 could cement Democratic control in Albany.

"Any credible expert will acknowledge that once the Senate goes Democratic, it's not going back," Stavisky added.

Republicans are already outnumbered in Maltese's district by more than two to one.

And Maltese has had a bull's-eye on his back since the 2006 campaign, in which he was nearly upset by political newcomer Albert Baldeo, who pulled in 49% of the vote without significant party backing.

"That's got to be one of three or four really heavily targeted districts in the state — probably the most targeted because of the perception that Maltese can be taken out," said Doug Muzzio, a political science professor at Baruch College.

Addabbo, who reported more than $70,000 in fund-raising by the state Board of Election's Jan. 15 filing deadline, said Democratic bosses have promised to give him "all-out resources" in his battle against Maltese. He said an influx of cash and campaign staffers from all over the state will arrive in his camp soon.

However, Addabbo faces a primary against Baldeo, who boasts $400,000 in campaign funds.

"I look forward to them fighting it out," said Maltese, who already has $240,000 in hand. He said the Republicans are not to be outdone in this race.

"[Majority Leader] Joseph Bruno in the Senate has pledged to me that if necessary he views it as a possible million-dollar race," he said.

Each candidate vowed not to run negative campaigns, but both slung a little mud in interviews with Queens News.

Addabbo slammed Maltese for flooding the district since shortly after the 2006 campaign with office newsletters that he says are really thinly veiled campaign ads.

Maltese blasted Addabbo for taking three donations, totaling nearly $30,000, from billionaire George Soros and his family.

"My donations are in the main from individuals, in the main from people residing in the district," Maltese said.

With Paul H.B. Shin

NY Daily News - Addabbo's Council Seat up for Grabs by Nicholas Hirshorn

Addabbo's council seat up for grabs

With Councilman Joseph Addabbo poised to try for higher office, the race for his seat is shaping up as a generational showdown between a grad student and a grandpa.

Fresh-faced Republican Eric Ulrich, 22, and elder Democrat Frank Gulluscio, 60, won't face each other until February 2009 if the Democrat Addabbo dethrones state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) - or until November 2009 if Addabbo loses.

But the civic-minded men are already exchanging potshots over who should represent Howard Beach, the Rockaways and other parts of southern Queens in the Council.

"A 60-year-old man like Frank against a guy like me who can knock on more doors [to get votes]? That's a no-brainer," fired Ulrich, who studies at St. John's University and became a Republican district leader in September.

Gulluscio shot back with his résumé: an English teacher in the 1970s, franchisee of two Brooklyn roller-skating rinks in the 1980s, nearly a decade as Democratic district leader and two years as Community Board 6 district manager.

"I've been 22. I know how 22-year-olds act and walk and talk," Gulluscio said of his rival. "We need somebody in that job who's competent. . . . We need someone from Day One who's not going to ask where the bathroom is."

Ulrich has raised $18,565 for his run over the past two years, with donations from several civic leaders and the wife of former Councilman Thomas Ognibene, according to city Campaign Finance Board records.

Gulluscio has garnered a comparatively slim $4,575, records show, but he stressed he hasn't truly started fund-raising.

"Look at me in July, which is the next filing [for campaign contributions]," he said.

But the candidates agree on some things: Both are proposing ferry service and cleaner, safer beaches in the Rockaways.

Losing 2006 Assembly candidate Stuart Mirsky, now vice president of the Rockaways Republican Club, figured Ulrich's dynamism would help him put up a formidable fight against Gulluscio.

Eric Ulrich (R)	Name	Frank Gulluscio (D)
22	Age	60
B.A., St. Francis College (2007); M.A., St. John's University (Expected 2009)	Education	B.A., SUNY (1968)
Engaged for four months	Family	Married for 35 years, grandfather of two
District leader for five months	Experience	District leader for nearly a decade
George W. Bush (2004)	First presidential candidate voted for	Eugene McCarthy (1968)
"Shawshank Redemption" (1994)	Favorite movie	"Patch Adams" (1998)
Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" (1979)	Favorite pop song	John Lennon's "Imagine"

"You don't have an incumbent in place," Mirsky said. "It makes things a lot easier for a challenger."

And Democratic district leader Lew Simon, who lost to Addabbo in the 2001 primary, said he hasn't ruled out entering the race.

NY Daily News - Local Politicians Poke Fun to Raise Funds by John Lauinger

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Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer as Marge Simpson

Broadway stages were dark — so Queens politicians grabbed the spotlight.

On Saturday, Nov. 17 — the eighth day of the devastating stagehand strike on Broadway — a motley cast of 23 Queens lawmakers soaked up the bright lights, performing a host of hilarious skits and songs to raise money for Queens Theatre in the Park.

The sold-out show, which drew almost 500 people and netted more than $100,000 in proceeds, was Queens Theatre in the Park's eighth Legislative Revue — and the first since 2004.

Normally performed every other year, the 2007 installment — dubbed "The 2007 Legislative Revue Strikes Back" — gave attendees a sneak peek at a $20 million project that will add a semicircular vestibule, cabaret space and a restaurant to the theater by next spring.

As for the performance itself, think of a who's who of Queens politics blended into a spoof-filled spectacle that was part musical, part "Saturday Night Live." Only Will Ferrell could have made it funnier.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn as "Legally Blonde"

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) donned a blond wig and did a "Legally Blonde" version of herself. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens, Brooklyn) belted out an amusing adaptation of "If I Only Had a Brain" — but he didn't look much like the Scarecrow in a sleek, pin-striped suit.

State Senator Serphin Maltese as Bart Simpson

And somehow there were roles that were more far-fetched than state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) playing Homer Simpson. Try Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside) as Brad Pitt and Assemblyman José Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) as Matt Damon in an improbable "Ocean's 11" takeoff.

The follies also featured an inevitable dose of fumbled lines and a truly memorable moment where state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and Assemblyman William Scarborough (D-St. Albans) mixed up their cheat sheets — and Stavisky saved the day by poking some impromptu fun at Scarborough's suit.

State Senator Mike Gianaris and City Councilman Eric Gioia

Yet despite the ridiculous costumes and theatrical missteps, no one came out looking worse than Gov. Spitzer. Although not present, the governor was ragged and razzed repeatedly for his aborted proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez

In one merciless swipe, Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), playing a weatherman, said the governor's ill-fated plan came "in like a lion and out like a lamb, a very dead lamb — a lamb that's been hit by a steamroller."

Queens Courier Online - Maltese Stands by his Mob Faux Pas by Nick Brown

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PHOTO COURTESY OF STATE SENATOR SERPHIN MALTESE
State Senator Serphin Maltese (left) presented a special proclamation and a handshake to Vito Grimaldi, (right) the owner of Grimaldi’s Home of Bread in Ridgewood.

State Senator Serphin Maltese said he had no idea the local baker he chose to honor this month was a reputed member of the Bonanno crime family. Now that the news is out, however, Maltese’s view on the matter hasn’t changed much.

It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, during a fall festival hosted by local bakery Grimaldi’s Home of Bread, that Maltese presented the proclamation. After closing for remodeling, Grimaldi’s hosted the festival to celebrate its grand reopening.

As it turned out, bakery owner Vito Grimaldi, 68, is a convicted mafia soldier involved in illegal gambling who ordered multiple beatings - acts that ultimately earned him two years in prison.

“The proclamation was to three generations of the Grimaldi family that have run the Grimaldi House of Bread,” said Maltese, noting that the honor was not intended specifically for Vito Grimaldi.

Grimaldi’s Home of Bread, located at 2101 Menahan Street in Ridgewood, has served the community since 1909, and has been operated by several generations of Grimaldi family members. “[Grimaldi’s] is one of the biggest employers in the area,” said Maltese. “They employ over 150 people.”

Vito Grimaldi did not return calls Tuesday, November 27, but said in an earlier published report that he was “proud” of Maltese’s proclamation, and refused to answer “stupid questions.”

Maltese said little could have been done to conduct background checks on Grimaldi, and said that doing so would have been a “waste of time.”

“I’ve been a senator for 19 years, and I issue hundreds of proclamations each year,” he said. “This is the first time anything like this has happened. There’s no real way to check these things.

“I was getting calls from friends and people in the community saying the bakery had been very generous,” the Senator continued. “They constantly give baked goods and cookies to Boy Scout groups, the Kiwanis club, Little League teams.”

Grimaldi’s prison sentence came after former underboss Salvatore Vitale testified that Grimaldi made the Bonanno family over $8,000 per month in “Joker” Poker machines in neighborhood cafes, restaurants and pizza joints.

Another mob associate, Frank Fiordilino, also testified that Grimaldi had given his OK on two beatings, advising his henchmen to “use their hands.”

Despite his mucky past, however, Maltese believes his current role in the Ridgewood community is clean as a whistle.

“As I understand it, he served his prison time, and is now running a very successful business that is very conscious of the debt it owes to the neighborhood,” said Maltese.

Times Newsweekly: Mad About Fee on Tree Board Members Oppose Proposed Ruling By Dept. Of City Planning by Ralph Mancini

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MAD ABOUT FEE ON TREE
Board Members Oppose Proposed
Ruling By Dept. Of City Planning

story and photo by Ralph Mancini
Word of a proposed text amendment requiring homeowners to pay for the placement of trees for new developments and home alterations met some opposition on the part of local residents at the Thursday, Nov. 1 Community Board 10 meeting held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in South Ozone Park.

Tree debate

Deputy Director Deborah Carney of the Department of City Planning introduced a city text amendment—certified on Sept. 17 for a 60-day period of public review—mandating that one new tree be added for every 25 feet of frontage in which there’s a 20 percent increase of floor area or a conversion that involves that same 20 percent increase in coverage.

Deborah Carney of the Department of City Planning pores over two proposed zoning text amendments dealing with yard regulations and street planting requirements.

This proposed ruling will reportedly be exempt in cases where industrial developments are built in manufacturing districts.

In unique areas where there isn’t enough sidewalk space or where there may be sight constraints, the Parks Department would be responsible for finding an alternate site for the planting of a street tree.

Carney detailed that the trees would have to be purchased by the property owner, while the Parks Department would be entrusted with the task of maintaining them.

“Why is this burden falling on the home owner?,” asked on resident. “Shouldn’t the Parks Department plant these trees and make sure that the roots go down?”

Legal counsel for Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer Larry Love also weighed in by inquiring if Parks would be accountable for tree-induced sidewalk damage as well as basic tree maintenance.

“I don’t have an answer for you on that one,” replied Carney. “There are a few bumpy areas and that could be one of them.”

Board member John Fazio voiced his disapproval on having homeowners foot the bill for new trees citing the fact that city residents are already being gouged by a variety of tax hikes.

“People here know I’m not against trees—I planted 38,000 myself—but I am against paying for these trees in front of my house if I have to pay $500 for a [home] alteration, $1,000, $1500, or whatever it is.”

“[The city] raised our taxes by 18 percent in one shot, DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) is raising our water taxes...I’m against trees if that’s the way it’s going to come out. I’m for trees if the city wants to pay for them.”

Carney did confirm that proprietors of existing homes not undergoing alterations exceeding a 20 percent increase in floor area would still be eligible to receive free trees if requested.

Yard amendment

The agency representative also broached the city’s efforts in promoting sufficient yard and green space in front of residences to ensure a minimal amount of planting area for every dwelling.

“Just driving down here today, I saw a lot of paved front yards and most of that was for parking...Under this text amendment, that will be no longer possible.”

The agencies behind this proposed measure will be asking people to dedicate 20 to 50 percent of their front yard area to planting. The percentage will reportedly be dependent upon on the width of the lot area.

The legal revision will apply to the lower density areas in R1 to R5 zoning districts.

To that end, front yard parking will be prohibited under this zoning amendment in order to encourage people to park their vehicles in their rear yards or in their detached garages.

In addition, outdoor staircases going up two floors above the basement will not be permitted.

Homeowners will also be disallowed from having steep driveways on their property. The city will reportedly be looking to establish an 11 percent maximum pitch regulation for all driveways.

In relation to corner lots which currently have no backyard requirements, Carney said that under new legislation these properties would require 30 foot backyards. This would apply to all interior lots regardless of whether they are within 100 feet of an intersection.

Chairperson Elizabeth Braton informed board members that a vote would not be taken at the present time to endorse or disapprove of the text amendments presented by the DCP.

Oz. Park sewer reconstruction

In her monthly report, District Manager Karyn Petersen announced that the Department of Environmental Protection has notified Board 10 of upcoming catch basin repairs at 93rd Street and Liberty Avenue and at 94th Street and Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park.

City prepares for the worst

Council Member Joseph Addabbo attended the meeting to fill the public in on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s recent decision to instruct agencies to “hold off on any extra new hires.”

Bloomberg’s new directive, said the council member, is to help the city prepare for “tough times ahead.”

“We are doing better financially as a city, but the gravy train doesn’t last forever.”

Topics broached by Council Member Joseph Addabbo included decisions being made at a city level to curb spending and improvements being discussed for crossing guards and school safety agents.

Next year’s fiscal budget, according to Addabbo, will start off roughly at a $4 billion deficit , which is a far cry from the $6 billion deficit of a few years ago, he said.

“I’m not saying libraries are closing and we’re not picking up garbage anymore, but I think we need to be mindful of these [being] good financial times, but that doesn’t last forever.”

Addabbo on school personnel

Meeting attendees were further briefed on a joint hearing between City Council’s public safety and labor committees regarding crossing guards and school safety agents.

On crossing guards, Addabbo acknowledged that there aren’t enough of them.

“The last thing any parent or family member should ever worry about is their child going to school.”

Also addressed during the conference was the lack of communication between the Department of Transportation and crossing guards in relation to being aware of dangerous intersections to ensure that those areas are well protected.

Addabbo also touched upon the plight of school safety agents that are in need of better safety vests.

These same agents, he went on on to say, are also underpaid.

When asked by Board member Frank Dardani what City Council can do to address the 50 percent turnover rate among them, Addabbo said that the city will have to look into offering better a benefits package to entice them to stay.

Maltese updates on Aqueduct

State Senator Serphin Maltese clarified that both he and other local elected officials, such as Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, are committed to have racing continue at Aqueduct.

The senator briefly commented on recent reports of a Shinnecock Indian group proposing to bring a casino to the Aqueduct site by saying that their offer wasn’t considered to be realistic.

“That’s not expected to happen,” he said. “Quite honestly, there was a great deal of opposition [to that]. Nobody knew what it would do. We were very apprehensive about the fact that other casinos [in] the surrounding areas have deteriorated [because of] their problems with prostitution, homelessness, vagrancy and vandalism.”

State Sen. Serphin Maltese expressed his commitment to maintain racing at Aqueduct.

Maltese expressed his wish that a casino group in good financial standing step forth to offer their services to run Video Lottery Terminal operations.

He admitted that both he and other state politicians were “very, very wary” of the New York Racing Association due to their unstable financial base which led them to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

“When you start selling the paintings off the wall, you end up really scraping the bottom right into bankruptcy.”

Nevertheless, NYRA and the state have recently agreed upon a memorandum of understanding for the embattled race track operator to continue conducting the racing side of business at Aqueduct. The agreement must be approved by Dec. 31 in order for deal to be finalized.

On NYRA, he added: “If something could be worked out and it’s determined by the courts that they do have a right to the land underlying the race track, then there will have to be some recompense.”

He further stated his optimism that Aqueduct would ultimately become a destination venue, but also stressed that the group or groups selected to carry on racing and VLT operations, must consider community people for positions both in construction and permanent jobs that may be available down the line.

Lancman drops in

Assemblyman Rory Lancman introduced himself to board members and residents at the meeting to apprise them of the fact that his assembly district overlaps a small area along the Ozone Park/South Richmond Hill border from 103rd to 107th avenues and between 114th and 124th streets.

NYC Comptroller rep. addresses crowd

Community Coordinator Martha Ayon from the office of New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson was on hand to tell those in attendance to file a claim with her office at 1-212-669-4600 should anyone experience any flooding caused by heavy rainstorms.

Marshall notice

Liaison to Borough President Helen Marshall Jerry LaMura communicated that Non-profit Day will be held Friday, Nov. 9 in Long Island City.

The objective of the event is to build and strengthen the capacity of non-profit organizations that serve the communities and neighborhoods of Queens.

The borough president will reportedly deliver the keynote address which will be followed by a series of afternoon workshops.

For information on the location and time of Non-profit Day , call 1-718-286-3000.

Community Board 10 regularly convenes on the first Thursday of the month at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 135-45 Lefferts Blvd. in South Ozone Park.