State Senate GOP: Same as Santorum, Romney, Gingrich
By Senator Mike Gianaris on 03/28/2012 @ 11:00 AM
It’s happening all over again! First, they denied immigrants access to financial aid for higher education. Then they blocked a proven crime-solving tool called bullet micro stamping. They even censored a symbolic resolution to designate a few days in January as Reproductive Rights and Justice Week.
Now, Republicans in the State Senate are putting desperately needed federal dollars at risk and holding hostage the health and well being of all New Yorkers. They have fallen victim to “Obamacare Derangement Syndrome” but the cure is within our grasp.
At a time when too many New Yorkers go without coverage, Albany must act now to create a health care exchange system that fosters greater competition, growth and access. To do anything less would be reprehensible.
Now, Senate Republicans are forcing our Governor to act alone while taking a page out of the playbook of Santorum, Romney, Gingrich and the Tea Party extremists who are right now brazenly attacking equal access to healthcare in the U.S. Supreme Court. These divisive tactics and draconian measures must stop!
Join us as we work to put Democrats back in charge of the State Senate, guarantee equal access to good healthcare and support a more progressive agenda that will protect women's rights, safeguard the environment and ensure that those who can most easily afford it, pay their fair share.
John Sampson: Senate Dems Accomplishments
By Mike Connery on 06/09/2010 @ 08:13 AM
In this video released by Senator John Sampson yesterday, the Majority Conference Leader looks back at the Democrats first 17 months in power. It's been a rocky road at times, but Democrats have accomplished much in our first term in the majority.
We passed rules reform and opened government up to the people. Reformed public authorities and passed the most sweeping ethics bill in a generation. We brought property tax relief to New Yorkers and saved jobs.
Nevertheless, as Senator Sampson reminds us, much work remains to be done. While Senate Dems were busy working for New Yorkers, Senate Republicans have been standing on the sidelines shouting "no" and obstructing progress at every turn. It's going to take hard work - and a larger majority in November - to truly give New Yorkers the government they deserve.
TRANSCRIPT A year ago today we were a house divided.Trust was broken and the fabric of government was torn.
But for every setback, there is a comeback.
I believe in the politics of hope and the strength of action.
And here is what we have done:
We transformed the rules of the Senate to make the legislative process more open, accountable, and inclusive.
We gave all members an opportunity to advance legislation with a straight up or down vote on their bills.
Equalized resources for all Senators regardless of party.
And used new technology to make every legislative action available to the public through live web broadcasts and the documentation of every legislative meeting in an easily searchable online database.
Then, putting partisanship aside and the people first, we worked across the aisle to pass bipartisan legislation.
We reformed New York City school governance, dragged shady Public Authorities into the light, consolidated local governments, and created a new tier in the state pension system to save taxpayers billions.
We took the historic step of appointing Republican Minority members as Committee Chairs for the first time in Senate history to continue to build a more efficient and functional chamber.
And then we took on ethics reform, passing the toughest ethics and campaign finance law in a generation.
We hoped it would be the first break in the Albany logjam, but the Senate Minority continued their history of building walls to exclude regular New Yorkers and block reform.
That’s ok. Because the work begins again, hope continues to rise, and our quest for ethics reform will not die. We will make it happen.
Changing the way business is done in Albany was no easy task after forty years of dysfunction.
And some achievements many thought were out of reach finally got done.
We passed the Bigger Better Bottle bill cleaning up our environment.
We passed Property Tax and Mandate Relief.
We passed the Family Health Care Decision Act and the HIV Rent Cap after nearly two decades of Republican obstruction.
We passed Rockefeller Drug Reform.
And, Democrats brought Marriage Equality to the floor for the first time in our State’s history.
Recognizing that New York works best when New Yorkers are working, Senate Democrats helped create and save over 400,000 jobs in our first term in the Majority.
From Power for Jobs, to the first in the nation Green Jobs program we are working our way out of financial disaster by putting New Yorkers back to work.
And we did not forget, nor will we ever forget, our greatest responsibility – our constitutional obligation to a quality education for every child in New York.
We gave New York the points we need to win $700 million in the Race to the Top.
The job before us is far from easy, and there will always be bumps along the way.
But giving New Yorkers a government they can believe in is not just a slogan, it is their birthright and our job to achieve.
And we will make it happen.
Bill Thompson Endorses Tony Avella
By Mike Connery on 05/28/2010 @ 03:12 PM
Earlier today, former Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson endorsed his former rival Tony Avella, calling him a strong and independent voice who will stand up to special interests and bring change to Albany. Avella is challenging 38 year incumbent Frank Padavan in Queens' 11th senate district.
Senate Class of 2010 Getting Positive Reaction
By Mike Connery on 05/27/2010 @ 01:01 PM
After their introduction to the New York Democratic political scene yesterday at the state convention, the members Senate Democrats Class of 2010 are receiving positive attention in the progressive blogosphere and from the state political press. Here's a sampling of the coverage thus far:
- The Albany Project loved the launch video, particularly the introduction by former City Councilman Tony Avella, who is challenging Frank Padavan in SD-11.
- Rochester Turning also loved the video, and was excited about the campaigns of Robin Wilt and Mary Wimot.
- Jimmy Vielkind chatted with Mary Wilmot and Susan Savage about their respective races.
- Celeste Katz posted our video, and provided coverage to all of our candidates.
- Finally, our candidates received a shout-out on the State of Politics blog.
If you haven't met the Class of 2010 yourself, be sure to check out the video and use our new battleground map to connect with their campaigns.
Change Albany Now: Senate Class of 2010
By Mike Connery on 05/26/2010 @ 05:01 PM
Earlier today at the State Party Convention, Senator Sampson introduced the Democratic Party, and all of New York, to the Senate Class of 2010. You can read his full remarks here (video coming soon).
As Senator Sampson noted in his address, these are the women and men in whom we are investing our hopes for the future. They are challenging Republican incumbents across New York State - from Monroe County all the way out to the tip of Long Island. They are running to Change Albany Now. But they need your help.
They need your help to get our candidates on the ballot. They need your help to staff the phone banks and stuff the mailers. They need your help to knock on doors and rally Democrats around this state.
And with your help, they'll win in November and bring real change to Albany.
Meet the Democratic Senate Class of 2010, and listen to their vision for a reformed New York. Then go out into your districts, recruit your friends and family, and help make that vision a reality.
Siena Poll: Nearly Three-Quarters of New Yorkers Reject Republican Control of Senate
By Mike Connery on 05/24/2010 @ 11:21 AM
Buried in the cross tabs of this morning's poll from Siena College is yet more evidence that 2010 could be a bad year for Republican incumbents.
When asked if the election for State Senate were held today would you vote to re-elect your incumbent Senator or would you prefer someone else?, 49% of respondents expressed a desire to throw out their incumbent Senator - the highest number ever in a Sienna poll.
Among upstate voters - the Republican base - 53% want to see someone new represent them.
When asked would you prefer to see the Democrats win a larger majority, would you prefer to see the Republicans win control of the Senate, or would you prefer to see the Senate continue to be closely divided between Republicans and Democrats? a plurality of respondents - 36% - wanted to expand the Democratic Majority in 2010.
Most significantly, almost three quarters of respondents outright rejected Republican control of the Senate
For those paying close attention, you'll recognize this as yet another in a string of polls, studies and retirements, the sum total of which all point to one conclusion: Across the political spectrum, New Yorkers keenly remember what 44 years of Republican rule did for the state, and they're not ready to return to power the same party whose tax-and-spend (and borrow) approach drove our state to fiscal crisis.
For those who need a refresher course:
- A study of voter enrollment data conducted by NYPIRG in April revealed that Democrats saw enrollment gains in 51 of 62 Senate Districts, and that Democrats held an outright registration advantage in 45 districts.
- A poll by Quinnipiac in May showed results similar to those revealed by Siena today. Quinnipiac found anti-incumbent sentiment at its highest point in the poll's history, with Republican base voters showing the highest levels of dissatisfaction.
- Republicans suffered three high-profile retirements in recent months: Leibell, Volker, and Morahan.
- Former Republican Majority Leader Joe Bruno was convicted on two felony corruption counts.
- And the shallowness of the Republican political bench was revealed very publicly in a New York Times story in which potential GOP Senate candidates revealed that they declined to run due to a lack of confidence in the Republican leadership.
Middle-class families and our small businesses can’t afford to do business the way Republicans have done business. That is why they continue to reject GOP and are ready to grow the Democratic Majority in 2010.
Two Minutes with Mike Gianaris
By Mike Connery on 05/06/2010 @ 10:00 AM
Here's a brief interview with Assemblyman Mike Gianaris, who is running to replace retiring State Senator George Onorato in the 12th Senate District. Gianaris discusses the budget, and how to reform Albany.
Quick Hits from the Trail: Skelos's Conflict of Interest, Klein's Legislation, Stewart-Cousins Responds
By Mike Connery on 04/27/2010 @ 11:01 AM
The latest news from the Democratic conference, candidates and campaigns:
- Andrea Stewart-Cousins responds to an attack by Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone.
- Senator Auburtine wants to make the Power for Jobs program permanent.
- 10 new Sunshine laws sponsored by Democrats were signed into law yesterday.
- Republican Leader Dean Skelos' Long Island law firm has a lobbying arm that raked in $284k last year, making it the third fasted growing lobby in the state. Conflict of interest anyone?
- Some of the grassroots are lining up behind Senator Breslin. Here's a positive post on the Senator by a blogger at The Albany Project.
- Senator Jeff Klein passed a bill to protect homeowners from loan modification scams. Watch him talk about the need for the bill in this video:
Joe Addabbo Holds Hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
By Mike Connery on 04/23/2010 @ 11:01 AM
Senator Joe Addabbo is hosting a hearing on campaign finance reform today from 10 - 1pm. Watch live:
Oppenheimer, Valesky and Klein Bring Sunshine to Albany
By Mike Connery on 04/19/2010 @ 01:26 PM
The Siena Poll I blogged earlier today had some interesting findings on what New Yorker's think about the possibility of reforming Albany. According to the findings, 83% of New Yorkers believe that Albany can be fixed if the right legislators are in office. Along those lines, I want to highlight some recent work by sitting Democrats that will deliver more transparency and efficiency to our capital.
The first items are pieces of legislation, sponsored by Suzi Oppenheimer and Dave Valesky, during March's "Sunshine Week:"
It may not be the dawning of the age of Aquarius, but state government has taken welcome action recently to let the sun shine in.
During Sunshine Week last month, a time set aside to promote open government, the state Legislature passed a bill strengthening the Open Meeting Law, sponsored by Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome, and Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck.
Another bill, sponsored by Destito and Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, would set guidelines for audio or video recording of all public meetings. A third measure, sponsored by Valesky and J. Gary Pretlow, D-Mount Vernon, directs local government bodies to make sure their meeting rooms are large enough to accommodate the public.
This week, Gov. David Paterson signed all three bills into law. “As a responsible government, we have the duty to inform the public of the state’s business, and these new laws will help to do just that,” Paterson said.
The second is a new website created by Jeff Klein and the Senate Task Force on Government Efficiency to aid whistleblowers in calling out government waste, and crowdsource ideas on how to make government more efficient:
NEW YORK, NY –State Senator and Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) announced Monday that the Senate Task Force on Government Efficiency has launched a new webpage where New Yorkers can anonymously submit their ideas, suggestions and feedback on how the state can conserve resources in this tough fiscal time, as well as to report any suspected wasteful government spending or abuse of tax dollars.
http://www.nysenate.gov/committee/task-force-government-efficiency
These are just a few more small steps that Democrats are taking on a long road towards reforming Albany's dysfunctional culture. By replacing some of the old-guard Republicans that have been in office for decades, we can do even more in the months and years to come.
Taking on the Last Senate Republican in Queens
By Mike Connery on 04/16/2010 @ 09:26 AM
Two great press hits coming out of the Queens Courrier yesterday. The first is a wide-ranging profile of Tony Avella and his effort to unseat GOP incumbent Frank Padavan, He's In It To Make a Difference.
Tony Avella insists he hates politics, but that’s not stopping him from running for another elective office. “I’m not in it for the money or the ego,” Avella said. “I’m in it to make a difference.”
The former city councilman, who served the 19th District for two terms, is now seeking the 11th state Senate District seat, which has been held by Republican Frank Padavan for the last 38 years. He believes Padavan is part of why the state Legislature is dysfunctional and that it’s time for a change.
On why he's running, and the electoral math:
Known as a maverick in Democratic circles, Avella is in the enviable position now of being the fair-haired boy. “The Democrats need to maintain the majority in Albany,” he said. “I can have an influence because the voices for change aren’t loud enough.”
He believes Padavan has become entrenched because the district has been gerrymandered in his favor. “It will be a mini-mandate if I win,” Avella said, noting his former council district overlaps the Senate area, which he considers a plus.
For this race, the party sought him out to run. “They are embracing me,” he said. “It’s helpful for the Democrats to have a maverick and a reformer.”
In the last Padavan challenge, City Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) lost by only 480 votes, after a recount that lasted for several months. “Padavan insists it was close because of the Obama vote, but we have found a huge drop off of people who voted for Obama but not the others,” he said. “Voting a straight party line doesn’t exist like it used to. Some people voted for the president and left some of the others blank.”
On the issues:
Avella also believes there are a lot of other things that can be done in Albany that affect the city, especially schools. “We have narrowed the gap, but upstate schools still get too much money,” Avella said. “We also need to eliminate the huge amount of waste in the city school system and I think we can do it.”
He recommends firing bad teachers and that ones up for review be given a speedy trial by hiring more arbitrators.
Avella is also no fan of discretionary funds, whereby elected officials dole out money to favored groups. “These groups should apply directly to the budget in a grant application process, not to the elected official,” he said. “It would give an extra level of review.”
Avella favors retaining community boards, panels which Mayor Mike Bloomberg is widely believed to want discontinued or at least diminished in their authority. “Decentralization works,” Avella said. “People know best what’s going on in their neighborhoods.”
Avella indicated he is not about to change his persona in Albany. “I feel I can have an influence and make change,” he said. “If I have to be a pest, I will. That’s why I’m going to Albany. I want to get things done.”
The second article took a hard look at the electoral math in the Queens Senate District and wonders if this might be the year that the last GOP Senator in Queens finally falls -
In 2008, out of 95,000 votes cast - Padavan came within 480 votes of losing to Gennaro partially due to his disappointing voting record. This includes consistently voting to increase deficits, annual excessive spending twice to three times the rate of inflation, supporting several hundred million dollars worth of yearly member item pork barrel projects and participating in the adoption of 30 out of the past 36 budgets late during his term in office. Under Padavan and the former GOP Senate majority -- New York became number two nationally in debt. Each resident is responsible for $4,115 of the $60 billion total. State debt grew from $27 billion in 1995 to $60 billion today growing by billions more in future budgets. State public authorities debt is $72 billion. These combined liabilities plus interest total $196 billion dollars. The voting record for Padavan morphed from being a conservative Republican to RINO (Republicans In Name Only) GOP Senator. Avella may run to the right of Padavan making the case that he is the real fiscal conservative. In 2010, the odds of Padavan remaining in office will be heavily stacked against him. Even if Padavan were to survive in 2010, his current gerrymandered district would probably be redrawn making any attempt to run in 2012 mathematically impossible.
Both articles are worth a look and provide a great overview of what will be one of the most-watched races this cycle.
Building a Government as Good as Our People, and a Website to Take Us There
By Mike Connery on 04/15/2010 @ 09:26 AM
Welcome to the new blog of the New York Senate Dems!
It was just 16 months ago that New York Democrats took control of the State Senate, following 44 years of Republican misrule characterized by corrupt deals, deficits and dysfunction. Republican fiscal mismanagement drove New York to the brink of insolvency, and their corrupt culture alienated New Yorkers from government.
In our short time in the chamber, Senate Democrats have made great strides in reforming the chamber. We passed an unprecedented rules reform package that made the Senate more transparent and equitable. We opened up the government to its people through public hearings across the state and open data and web standards online at NYSenate.gov. We reformed the Public Authorities, and we made tough choices to bring budget discipline to Albany.
We’re dedicated to building a government as good as our people, but it’s going to take time. Two years in power is not enough to undo the damage from four and a half decades of Republican malfeasance. We still have a long way to go before New Yorkers have the government they deserve.
Only a strong, enduring Democratic Majority in the State Senate will be able to reform Albany, rein-in spending, lower taxes, and create good jobs for the people of New York. Building that majority will require us to protect our members who face tough challenges this election cycle, and run hard challenges of our own against Republican incumbents.
These goals are within our grasp, but those races cannot be won, and that better government cannot be realized, without your help. So what can you do?
For starters, you can help us build our community of supporters and help us plug in to the online political conversation:
- Sign up for our RSS feed.
- Become a fan on Facebook.
- Follow us on Twitter.
- Subscribe to us on Youtube.
- Sign up to receive email updates from New York Senate Dems.
- Spread the word about our relaunch, and ask your friends to do the same.
Above all, leave us comments – about the blog, about races in your area, about ideas your have or political gossip you’ve heard. We want to open a dialogue in this space about how we can work together to build a stronger Democratic Majority to reform Albany.
This is just the beginning. The launch today of our blog is a first step in a larger build-out of the online capabilities of the New York Senate Dems and our candidates. At the end of April we will launch a new website with capabilities on par with anything in New York State politics. It’s going to be a long hard fight to reform Albany. But with your help it’s a fight we can win.
GOP: The Party of No Credibility
By Mike Connery on 04/14/2010 @ 12:01 PM
Majority Conference Leader John Sampson has an op-ed in today's Syracuse Post-Standard calling out Dean Skelos and do-nothing Republicans for their refusal to deal constructively with the state's budgetary problems.
In defending his conference’s habitual rejection of fiscally sound proposals, as well as his refusal to come forth with any offerings of his own, Sen. Skelos is continuing the negligent behavior that got New York into this mess in the first place.
During the Bruno-Skelos era of 1996 to 2008, the Republican Conference said “no” to an on-time budget 10 times, for total lateness of 819 days.
When they did manage to pass a budget, the document was hardly a model of fiscal integrity. From 1997 to 2008, outstanding state-related debt increased by 36 percent, from $33.1 billion to $51.6 billion. In other words, the annual bill for every man, woman and child in this state to service the debt increased from $166.16 to $276.14. Borrowing went up, property taxes skyrocketed and jobs left.
Despite this, when the Senate passed a resolution which — for only the third time in more than three decades — controlled spending, they again said “no,” along with their rejection of property tax relief for seniors and a restoration of funding for our state parks. And the very conference that included more than 300 new taxes in its last 10 budgets alone then said “no” to the Democrats’ rejection of $1.1 billion in new taxes and fees. When asked to provide an alternative plan, Sen. Skelos said — you guessed it — “no.”
While cloaking himself in the robes of “no,” one thing is clear: This self-anointed emperor not only has no clothes, he has turned the “party of no” into the “party of no credibility.”
Leader Sampson gets it exactly right. Looking back on their record, it's hard to take Republican indignation over the current budget troubles seriously. Senate Democrats are are the only ones in Albany willing to make tough choices on the budget, and one of the few proposing reforms that will fix a dysfunctional budgetary process. By contrast, Republicans are sitting on the side lines and playing the blame game.
Craig Johnson Announces Taxpayer Abuse Assessment Legislation
By Mike Connery on 04/13/2010 @ 07:07 PM
Craig Johnson announced new legislation today that would end one of the more glaring misappropriations of tax payer dollars. As it currently stands, the state and municipalities are paying millions of dollars in pensions to former employees who used their positions to embezzle money.
The proviso in New York’s public pension system that ensures even convicted embezzlers can continue to collect retirement benefits has long been a sore point with a lot of people, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Long Island community of Roslyn where the former school superintendent Frank Tassone fleeced taxpayers for more than $2 million and was sent to prison in 2006.
Now, a pair of Long Island Democrats, Sen. Craig Johnson and Assemblyman Charles Lavine, are offering a measure that could end this benefit — not by changing constitutionally protected pension laws — but by calling for an assessment or tax on the pensions of criminals who abused public monies. The “taxpayer abuse assessment” would be equal to the annual pension of the person in question.
At a time when the state and local municipalities are pinching pennies to get by, we can't afford to subsidize the retirements of criminals who stole from taxpayers.
Here's Johnson discussing the legislation:
Avella Will Take on Padavan
By Mike Connery on 04/05/2010 @ 04:30 PM
Former city council member and mayoral candidate Tony Avella has announced that he will challenge Frank Padavan for control of New York's 11th Senate District in Queens.
“While I may not have always done what’s popular, I have always tried to do what’s right. It’s time we elect a State Senator who will look out for the interests of Queens families,” Avella said. He took the opportunity to point the finger at his opponent. “Frank Padavan has been part of the problem in Albany for 38 years. What we need now is a Senator who wants to be part of the solution. If elected, I’ll change the way Albany does business.”
Avella was flanked by other prominent Queens Democrats, including Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck) and Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), who gave Avella their endorsement.
Avella, who represented the Bayside, Douglaston, Whitestone, College Point and North Flushing council district now represented by Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) from 2002-2009, first hinted at a potential challenge to Padavan in early December. Avella, known to be more conservative than most city Democrats, came out in support of same-sex marriage that same month after the State Senate rejected a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York State. Padavan joined all 30 Republicans in the chamber in voting “no” on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Avella took more steps toward a run in February.
Padavan squeaked back into office last term by the narrowest of margins, beating out Jim Gennaro by just a few hundred votes. Padavan is on the ropes, and Avella could be one of our best shots at picking up an extra seat this cycle.
Here's more on Avella's announcement from the local press:
- Queens Tribune: Avella Sets Sites on Padavan, State Senate
- Queens Courrier: Avella to Challenge Padavan for Senate
- Village Voice: Tony Avella Will Challenge Frank Padavan in State Senate Race
- Your Nabe: Avella Kicks Off Challenge to Padavan for Senate Seat
- City Hall News: The Recalibration of Tony Avella
