NY's only statewide political program
Archive for June, 2011
Here And Now
Jun 30th - 7:25 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding two property tax cap “events” at private suburban residences today – one in Lynbrook (11:00 a.m.), the other in Pleasantville (1:30 p.m.)
Cuomo is expected to sign the so-called “big ugly,” which includes the cap, mandate relief and extension of the NYC rent laws, at the second event.
Pleasantville is in Westchester County, which has the highest property taxes in the nation. It’s also the governor’s home county.
Last night, the governor sent supporters an email (from his government account) with the subject line: “A property tax cap at last.” Sample text:
“For more than 15 years, both houses of the Legislature along with three governors have talked about a property tax cap for New York, but with no results. But now, for the first time in New York’s history, homeowners and businesses have the help they need.”
You get the idea. There’s also a link to the press release that announced the big ugly agreement.
Here are today’s headlines:
Four hundred and fifty-one state workers – most of them PEF members – are slated to receive layoff notices today. Those could be rescinded if the union strikes a contract deal with the Cuomo administration.
Ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, is reportedly taking a break from her job at the State Department – and her sexting husband – while he’s in rehab.
The National Organization for Marriage has vowed to spend $2 million in 2012 to oust the seven senators who flipped from “no” to “yes” on same-sex marriage between 2009 and last week.
While NY’s DEC is deliberating on hydrofracking, NJ Gov. Chris Christie has a bill to create the first statewide ban of the practice on his desk. It’s unclear if he will sign it.
The DEC will not release final gas drilling regulations Friday.
In his first press conference since March, President Obama called New York’s passage of a gay marriage bill “a good thing,” but did not endorse it outright.
Understanding Special Election Law
Jun 29th - 8:55 pm
Right now there are four open seats in the assembly, with another vacancy coming when Manhattan Democrat Jonathan Bing moves to a new job with the state liquidation bureau. And there’s also a vacant congressional seat, thanks to Anthony Weiner’s twitter troubles. But so far, no special elections have been called. Election lawyer Jerry Goldfeder talks about why.
Mickey Carroll Talks Cuomo Poll Numbers
Jun 29th - 8:44 pm
Governor Cuomo continues to enjoy high favorability ratings. In fact, the latest Quinnipiac poll has him polling better than any other governor they cover. Mickey Carroll helps explain why voters keep supporting the governor through tough fights like same-sex marriage.
Rooting Out Corruption
Jun 29th - 8:34 pm
The attorney general’s office is setting up public integrity officers around the sate to help investigate corruption at all levels of government. Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Nancy Hoppock explains how the offices will work.
Fighting Against Medicare Cuts
Jun 29th - 8:21 pm
As the president and Congress continue to negotiate over the federal deficit, several groups want to make sure social programs do not get cut. Michael Burgess from the Statewide Senior Action Council explains their efforts.
Extras
Jun 29th - 5:13 pm
President Obama called New York’s same-sex marriage vote “a good thing,” but stopped short of endorsing the measure himself.
Top aides to former governors, legislative leaders try to make sense of the 2011 legisaltive session next Wednesday, July 13 at Baruch College with yours truly.
Ex-Rep. Dan Maffei joined the lobbying/law firm Manatt Phelps (also home to 2006 GOP gubernatorial candidate John Faso).
There’s some irony in calling Cuomo a liberal champion just because of same-sex marriage.
A Catholic blog takes a dim view of Maureen Dowd’s interview with Cuomo.
Lloyd Blankfein and former Gov. David Paterson debated which one of them is more unpopular.
Mayor Bloomberg is at odds with Cuomo over the potential closure of Indian Point.
The NYLCV gave the Legislature a “B” for environmental progress this year, up from last year’s C.
Bloomberg wants $600 million back from the CityTime contractor.
Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch praised Cuomo, criticized Obama and side-stepped questions about his sexuality in a wide-ranging interview.
AG Eric Schneiderman designated 14 employees to serve as public integrity officers around the state.
A second defendant was acquitted of all charges related to the Deutsche Bank tower fire.
NYRA’s COO/executive vice president will depart at the end of this year’s meet.
The NYC Council approved the $66 billion budget, 49-1, with the lone “no” vote coming from Charles Barron.
An appeals court judge appointed by George W. Bush sided with the Democrats on health care reform.
The state approved more charter schools, even as the co-location argument rages in NYC.
The US Senate Democrats might nix the July 4th recess.
Bloomberg: Thank Skelos For Gay Marriage
Jun 29th - 4:03 pm
Even though he voted “no” and continues to believe marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos deserves credit for allowing the bill to come up for a vote last week, Mayor Bloomberg said.
“In the end, it was Skelos’ decision to whether to bring this to the floor,” Bloomberg said. “If he had not brought it to the floor, it would not have happened. It was three out of the four Republicans. If they hadn’t voted for this it wouldn’t have happened.”
Bloomberg’s comments came after his sit-down with the first Republican to announce he would break with the majority conference and vote “yes” on the bill: Rochester Sen. Jim Alesi. (The mayor, who is infamous for his trouble with names, could not for the life of him get the pronounciation of the senator’s name right; it’s Ah-lee-see, not Ah-leh-see).
The mayor said Alesi had served as “the tipping point in the debate” over same-sex marriage and showed “courage” in coming forward.
Of course, it’s not really nearly so simple as all that.
Most people with a passing knowledge of Monroe County politics believe Alesi, who was already on the outs with local GOP and Conservative leaders for his (now dropped) lawsuit against two constituents whose property he injured himself on while trespassing, took a calculated risk here in hopes that would land himself some newfound donors – and voters – from the LGBT community in 2012.
And while the mayor has been quite outspoken in his support of same-sex marriage and even made a special trip to Albany to lobby the GOP conference on the bill, the vote wasn’t devoid of politics for him either.
Bloomberg, as you’ll recall, is the Senate GOP’s largest individual donor and contributed close to $1 million to help the Republicans re-take the majority last year.
There was already talk (including from the lone Democratic “no” vote, Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr.) prior to last Friday’s vote that Bloomberg – and his deep pockets – would be in part to blame if Skelos refused to let the bill come to the floor or if it made it there and died due to a lack of GOP support.
Carlucci: Town Clerks Should Enforce Law
Jun 29th - 3:59 pm
Sen. David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown, criticized in a statement today an Oswego County town clerk who refuses to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
“A Town clerk in their capacity as a marriage license officiant executes licenses like an officer of the court,” Carlucci said. “One cannot simply pick and choose which laws to follow and which to not.”
Barbara MacEwen, the town clerk in Volney (population 6,094) told YNN that she isn’t comfortable with approving licenses for same-sex couples.
“I really wouldn’t feel comfortable putting my name on a marriage license and I don’t really call it a marriage because a marriage is between a man and a woman. God said that in his word.”
But Carlucci, a former town clerk himself, said he’s signed marriage licences for marriages he personally did not approve of.
“There were times in my tenure where I granted marriage licenses incarcerated convicts,” he said. “I issued those licenses without pretense to what their crimes were because despite my personal views of their crimes, in our state, convicts are afforded the right of marriage.”
Sampson Credits Duane With Same-Sex Marriage Success
Jun 29th - 3:07 pm
In his remarks on the end of the regularly scheduled 2011 legislative session, Senate Minority Leader John Sampson heaps credit on Sen. Tom Duane, D-Manhattan, for the passage of the same-sex marriage bill.
“…I want to commend Senator Tom Duane for his relentless advocacy on behalf of his community and all New Yorkers. Senator Duane changed hearts, changed minds, and in the process, helped change the course of history. None of this could have been possible without him,” Sampson said.
Duane, who is openly gay and HIV positive, carried the marriage bill in the Senate that passed 33-29 on Friday. Duane in particular seemed key in winning the support of Sen. Carl Kruger, the Brooklyn Democrat who is facing federal bribery charges.
Kruger was a no vote in 2009, but switched this year. Kruger and Duane sit next to each other in the backrow of the Senate chamber, frequently talking to one another. Kruger was outed on front page of The New York Post when he was first hit with the bribery charges, but has denied he is gay.
Cuomo Email Touts Marriage Passage
Jun 29th - 2:58 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent an email to supporters celebrating the passage of same-sex marriage in the Legislature and takes particular note of Cuomo’s hands-on involvement in the effort.
Governor Cuomo believed this issue came down to a question of fairness and civil rights. The Governor worked alongside an unprecedented, bipartisan coalition of organizations and supporters to build momentum in every region of the state for passage of marriage equality legislation.
With the world watching, the Legislature passed marriage equality at the end of the legislative session, making New York the largest state to legalize marriage for all of its citizens.
Cuomo had gathered the state’s LGBT lobby leaders earlier this year in Albany to warn them against the same in fighting that led to the bill’s 2009 defeat in the Senate.
The organizations formed an umbrella group with press done by Cuomo ally Jennifer Cunningham, New Yorkers United for Marriage, in order to consolidate lobbying efforts and follow a Cuomo-style brand of message discipline.
Cuomo met personally with fence-sitting lawmakers and was involved in the crafting of the religious exemption amendment, which would prove key in winning Republican support.
Cuomo sent out a similar message from his official government email on rent control and the ethics overhaul.
Take Capital Tonight and the State of Politics blog with you everywhere you go with our iPhone app! The mobile application features our blog posts, interviews, and a report news tool to send us your political news tips.