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Archive for January, 2011
Cuomo: Beware Of Mother Nature!
Jan 31st - 10:45 pm
Gov. Cuomo is covering his bases ahead of the monster snow storm expected to hit the state over the next couple days.
He’s ordered the NYS Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to activate the state’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and to open the State Emergency Operations Center.
“In response to the anticipated storm – including snow, ice and sleet – we have taken the steps necessary to coordinate and mobilize the resources needed to provide a timely response,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement.
“I urge all New Yorkers to take precautions to prepare themselves and their families as this storm approaches.”
The governor has put many of the state’s agencies on high alert ahead of the storm. DOT is already pre-treating road surfaces and has more than 1,400 snow plows ready to be called into action.
The full list of precautions and safety tips from the governor’s office appears after the jump.
Astorino: Don’t Be Afraid To Make Tough Decisions
Jan 31st - 9:00 pm
Rob Astorino is considered a rising star in the Republican Party. He delivered a speech this morning at the state Conservative Party Political Action Conference, taking his fellow local leaders to task for being too afraid of the political consequences of the tough decisions demanded by the current fiscal crisis.
The Westchester county Executive joined Liz Benjamin Monday.
GOP Defends Senate Rules Changes
Jan 31st - 9:00 pm
Senate Democrats are fuming over a procedural rule change made by the Republican majority that limits the role of the Lieutenant Governor when presiding over the Senate.
The new rule prohibits the LG from casting a vote in the event of a tie to determine leadership in the Senate, which could happen if even one member of the Republican conference is vacates his or her seat unexpectedly.
Democrats say the majority is playing politics because Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy is a Democrat, But Republicans say only elected Senators should be picking the leader of their body.
Sen. John Flanagan joined Liz Benjamin Monday to explain.
Rep. King’s Gun-Restriction Plan
Jan 31st - 9:00 pm
Since the tragic shooting in Tucson that claimed the lives of six and left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life, there have been a bevy of gun control bills proposed. Some call for closing a loophole in the background check system. Others for banning the high-capacity magazines that allow people to carry up to 30 bullets at once. But one New York Republican has a different bill, which would implement a one thousand foot ban on guns at events that members of Congress or the President and his cabinet attend.
Rep. Pete King joined Liz Benjamin from Hofstra University, on his native Long Island to talk more about this bill.
EXCLUSIVE YNN-Marist Poll: NYers Confident Cuomo Can Manage Crisis
Jan 31st - 9:00 pm
The latest numbers from the exclusive YNN/Marist poll show 58 percent of New Yorkers believe Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be able to solve the state’s fiscal crisis, although they don’t feel similarly confident in the capabilities of the state Legislature.
Sixty-eight percent of voters polled said they don’t think either the Senate and Assembly has what it takes to pull the state from its budget morass, which doesn’t bode well, considering the state’s three-men-to-tango budget process.
Another wrinkle for Cuomo: Sixty-four percent of New Yorkers want the so-called millionaire’s tax to be extended pass its sunset date at the end of the year. That is, of course, something Cuomo has been clear he does not support.
Nearly seven-in-10 say (68 percent) they support Cuomo’s two percent property tax cap, which passed the Senate with bipartisan support earlier today. The top priority for mamy voters statewide, albeit more Republicans than Democrats, is deficit reduction.
EMBARGOED_Complete January 31 2011 NY1_YNN_Marist Poll Release and Tables
Mangano Sues Over NIFA Takeover
Jan 31st - 6:19 pm
As promised, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the NIFA takeover of the county’s finances last week, arguing the state board is mistaken in its assessment that his 2011 budget will incur a deficit of more than 1 percent.
A deficit of that size is one of the so-called “triggers” that would enable the NIFA to impose a control period of the county. Mangano insists the county’s books won’t be reconciled until the end of FY 2011 next December and therefore the board’s move was premature.
Extras
Jan 31st - 6:03 pm
ADDED: Deputy Nassau County Executive Pat Foye resigned in protest over his (now former) boss’ lawsuit against the Nassau Interim Finance Authority.
A federal judge in Florida ruled the entire health care law unconstitutional.
Mark Green considers Rudy vs. The Donald in 2012.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he won’t extend 421-A unless it’s tied to strengthening of the rent laws.
David Malpass is “staying involved” in politics and is going to be advocating for pension reform.
The Staten Island Zoo will host a live chat with Chuck’s handler tomorrow.
Mitt Romney was in New Hampshire.
Wayne Barrett has a new job.
Jimmy McMillan thinks Romney would make a good running mate. He likes Newt Gingrich, too.
Sen. Chuck Schumer: “Don’t count David Carlucci out.”
LG Bob Duffy says he’ll cast a tie-breaking vote regardless of what the Senate rules are, and face whatever lawsuits result.
An amended schedule of legislative budget hearings has been released. (The Health/Medicaid hearing is now March 3 – three days after the Medicaid Redesign Task Force’s recommendations are due).
Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch wants his reform heroes to live up to their pledges.
Kristin Davis weighs in on the Craigslist killers’ victims.
The DN is expanding local coverage in Harlem, East Harlem, Inwood, Washington Heights and Northern Manhattan.
Sliwa and Borrero are teaming up for a new afternoon drive-time radio show.
Dede Scozzafava is making more in her new job with the Department of State than she did as an assemblywoman.
Reps. Nan Hayworth and Ann Marie Buerkle responded to being targeted by the DCCC.
Here are Buerkle and Hayworth at the CPAC in Colonie last night, calling, respectively, for NPR funding to be slashed and for the repeal of Dodd-Frank.
Cuomo: Senate GOP ‘Incorrect’ On Reading Of LG Law
Jan 31st - 5:51 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo was fairly terse in his response just now when asked for a reaction to the Senate GOP’s move to strip LG Bob Duffy of his right to break a tie in the event of a deadlocked leadership vote in the chamber.
“I think they are incorrect in their reading of the law,” Cuomo said. (It was the last question he took at a Red Room press conference where he swore in newly-confirmed State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico).
The Senate Democrats have argued the Republicans are not only disenfranchising upstaters with this rules change, noting Duffy is the only statewide leader (aside from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand) who lives north of Westchester), but also violating the state Constitution.
Apparently, Cuomo agrees with this assessment.
The Democrats are seeking a legal opinion from their former colleague, AG Eric Schneiderman.
Tax Cap Passes Senate, 45-17 (Updated)
Jan 31st - 5:44 pm
As predicted by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s property tax cap program bill passed the chamber today with bipartisan support.
The vote was 45-17. All “no” votes were cast by the following Democrats – all downstaters:
Joe Addabbo, Tony Avella, Ruben Diaz Sr., Martin Dilan, Tom Duane, Adriano Espaillat, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Liz Krueger, Carl Kruger, Velmanette Montgomery, Kevin Parker, Jose Peralta, Bill Perkins, Gustavo Rivera, Jose Serrano, Dan Squadron, Toby Stavisky.
Also as expected, all four IDC members – Sens. Jeff Klein, David Carlucci, Diane Savino and David Valesky – voted with the GOP. But nine others did, too, including Sens. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Neil Breslin (the deputy minority leader), Minority Leader John Sampson (a bone to Cuomo?) and Suzi Oppenheimer.
The Democrats who voted in opposition argued that this vote was “premature,” as Espaillat put it, and said it would be better to wait until after Cuomo’s budget comes out tomorrow so senators can see the full spectrum of education cuts.
Espaillat predicted the same communities now advocating for property tax relief through a cap will be seeking additional education aid from the Senate once they see how much they’re going to lose in Cuomo’s proposal.
Meanwhile, the Senate Republicans – particularly the Long Islanders like Sen. Carl Marcellino – said the cap is merely a “first step,” noting it doesn’t cut taxes, but merely caps them, with the option of an override for localities.
Also, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said earlier today that he will be introducing the governor’s cap program bill today.
UPDATE: Here’s the unofficial roll call vote on the tax cap bill:
Senate Dems Seek LG Opinion From Ex-Senate Dem-Turned-AG (Updated)
Jan 31st - 4:47 pm
The Senate Democrats have turned to their former colleague, Eric Schneiderman, for assistance in their rules fight, asking the ex-senator-turned-AG for an opinion on whether the Republicans’ effort to take away LG Bob Duffy’s tie-breaking leadership vote is legal.
At roughly the 10:14-minute mark, Sen. Mike Gianaris takes the podium and accuses the Republicans of “subverting the Constitution” (actually, that’s a matter open to interpretation, as the Rockfeller Institute’s Bob Ward and I discussed on CapTon last week).
The former Queens assemblyman then says the Democrats, at Sen. Adriano Espaillat’s request, have asked Schneiderman for an opinion as to their legal standing if, as is expected this afternoon, the Republicans pass the rules changes they were unable to take up last week due to the absence from the Rules Committee meeting of Sen. Ken LaValle.
The Democrats are still awaiting a reply from Schneiderman, Gianaris said. UPDATE: The letter the minority sent to their old colleague appears after the jump.
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