Congestion Pricing Gets Federal

The Department of Transportation has agreed to release $354 million to support Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, says DOT Secretary Mary Peters. The money will only be allocated to New York City assuming

Bloomberg's plan, which would charge cars $8 and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan south of 86th Street on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m, has strong opposition from State Assemblyman and State Senators from the outer boroughs and near suburbs, where many upper middle class workers commute to Manhattan via car instead of subway, bus or commuter rail.

Opposition is strong in many parts of the city that does not have direct access to Manhattan via public transportation, such as Bergen Beach and Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, Glendale and Whitestone, Queens and Throggs Neck, Bronx where many commuters to Manhattan commute via car.

New York State Assembly Passed Gay Marriage Bill

By a vote of 81-65, the New York State Assembly became the third state legislative body in the US to vote to legalize same sex marriage. Last year, both houses of the California legislature endorsed same-sex marriage, but the bill was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The bill got some bipartisan support. Four Republicans, two men from the Hudson Valley and two women from the Adirondacks, voted for the bill;

Mike Spano (R-Yonkers), Joel Miller (R-Poughkeepsie), Teresa Sayward (R-Essex County) and Dede Scozzafava (R-Gouveneur) all voted aye.

21 Democrats and 1 Independent voted nay, breaking with party line; Peter Abbate (D-Brooklyn), Daniel Aubertine (D-Cape Vincent), Joan Christensen (D-Syracuse), Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village), Bill Colton (D-Brooklyn), Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn), Francine DelMonte (D-Niagara Falls), Ruben Diaz Jr. (D-Bronx), Dennis Gabryszak (D-Cheektowaga), Sandra Galef (D-Peekskill), David Gantt (D-Rochester), Diane Gordon (D-Brooklyn), Timothy Gordon (I-Delmar), Auriela Greene (D-Bronx), Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn), William Magee (D-Nelson), Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth), N. Nick Perry (D-Brooklyn), Annette Robinson (D-Brooklyn), Robin Schimminger (D-Kenmore), Anthony Seminerio (D-Richmond Hill).

State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselear) has already said the bill will be dead on arrival to the Senate, so it'll almost certainly will not reach Governor Spitzer's desk this session.

Spitzer would sign it if it did. It would make New York the second state to legalize gay marriage after Massachusetts and the first to do it legislatively.

Spitzer To Push For Gay Marriage

If there is any doubt Spitzer is spending his political capital like a drunken sailor, I give you his push for gay marriage to a divided legislature.

Spitzer is a strong support of gay marriage and has vowed to work to make New York the second state to legalize it, and the first to do it by legislation.

Some polls have shown a small majority of New Yorkers support gay marriage. A larger majoriity support civil unions and domestic partnerships. More over, although I have no proof of this, my belief is that to most New Yorkers, gay marriage is low on the issues meter; meaning if it was legalized, the large minority who opposes it would not suddenly begin rioting and picketing, nor would it destroy Spitzer or the state's Democratic Party.

Still, Spitzer's chances of getting a bill to sign into law are slim. Although a majority in the legislature supports it, some Democrats oppose it and the Republicans still control the State Senate.

While I applaud the Governor's spending of political capital to do what's right, perhaps if this fails, he should consider civil unions as a means to begin giving legal rights to gays and lesbians now, with gay marriage coming down the pike. Progress takes time, remember.

Spitzer's First 100 Days

Governor Eliot Spitzer assumed office in January with something very few new governors had ever had before...a sweeping mandate.

Having won nearly 70% of the vote in the general election, and carrying every Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly district, Spitzer took office with an enormous amount of political capital to spend, and he wasn't afraid to spend it.

Spitzer faced the state legislature head on, working with them to overhaul workers' compensation, keeping sexual predators off the streets, and promote ethics in Albany. He got a budget passed, only 11 hours late.

Governor Spitzer hasn't feared defeat however, he took them on, and it's debatable if he should've, concerning the election of a new State Comptroller. He lost that battle with the legislature, who, to the Governor's chegrin, elected Long Island Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli to the position over other candidates listed by a committe set up by the Governor. He caved to the state legislature on hospital spending and school spending, but was successfull in doing what former Democratic Governors Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo failed to do in the 1970's and 80's, funnel more education money into the poorer schools.

Spitzer's approval rating has taken a beating in his first 100 days. Partially as a result of those commercials aired to attack the Governor's cuts in Medicaid; one such commercial shows an eldery lady threatening to give up and die if Spitzer cuts her Medicaid. Any Governor would see his or her popularity plummet when they are "killing old ladies." Approval ratings don't mean much in the first few months, especially when one won his seat with 70% of the vote. Spitzer's political limits are being realized.

Stop Smoking, Start Shopping

Bloomberg looks to raise taxes to cut them...I think it isn't a bad idea.

Mayor Bloomberg is probably most notorious here in the city for his hatred of smokers. Now, a report says he plans on raising the cigarette tax (again,) to cut clothing taxes. The taxes on cigarettes would place the second highest taxes on cigarettes in the country, after Chicago.

Personally, I never had a problem with taxing cigarettes, even as a smoker (as I was from 1998, when they cost $2.75 a pack until 55 days ago.) Cigarettes are a luxury, luxuries can be taxed. Also, personally, I don't see clothing as a luxury, because clothing is a necessity, therefore it should not be taxed, so I'm happy to see Bloomberg taxing a luxury to cut them on necessities. The only caveat is that the state legislature must approve his plan. The state legislature tends to take forever to approve anything unless Governor Spitzer locks them inside the state house all night (see the budget.)

I remember hearing people complain about the taxes on cigarettes, that is was discrimination against smokers. Don't smoke, you know it's unhealthy, either quit or deal with it. That's what I did, I dealt with it. I paid the taxes, didn't complain. I smoked outside and away from non-smokers, until I was ready to quit.

So that's my message to smokers who may bitch and moan that Bloomberg is discriminating against them. Shutup or quit. In the meantime, buy some new tax-free clothes to replace the smelly ones.

The Nassau GOP Pipe Dream

Mondello is staying put. The man who has led the once powerful Nassau Republicans right off a cliff is going to continue to drag the party down until they, I don't know, end up like the Brooklyn Republicans.

you would think after loosing;
-Control of the County Legislature
-the County Executive race...twice
-two Congressional seats
-the District Attorney's race
-two State Assembly seats
-a State Senate seat
in just the past 10 years, it's probably time for new leadership for the party, but not for the Republicans. I guess when you have full power in the place for over 50 years and then suddenly loose, you refuse to accept you actually lost it.

The loss of the 7th State Senate seat was the last straw for the Nassau GOP. They've held all the State Senate seats in Nassau County for over 30 years, to lose one, especially in a special election, is just dreadful for them.

Oh well, let's see how easy it's going to be for Mondello to fundraise and support candidates with the Nassau GOP almost broke and, as I mentioned earlier, the state GOP nearly irrelevant. He better hope Giuliani gets the GOP Presidential nod and then does as well as he is now on Long Island. It would at least save his party for the immediate future.

The Amazing Disappearing New York State GOP

Is the New York Republican Party even relevant anymore?

A question that needs to be asked. We all know that the New York GOP is reeling. The party last all four major statewide races in landslides in 2006 (even won where the Democrat was sinking in scandal). They lost three House seats and nearly lost three more. They lost three State Assembly seats, where they were already a super minority, and lost a State Senate seat in Westchester. They narrowly kept a Queen State Senate seat where Republican Serphin Maltese, in office since 1986, won by a mere 783 votes (and that with the Democratic party in the area endorsing him.) The icing on the cake of death was this month's special election on Long Island for a State Senate seat where a Democrat won a Republican's seat.

Can it get any worse for the New York GOP? Well, they still control the State Senate, by a narrow margin. Two more seats will tie the chamber 31-31 with Democratic Lieutennant Governor David Paterson breaking the tie, effectively giving control to the Democrats. The Republicans don't hold much else, and they hold New York City's Mayoral Seat pretty much in name only.

Why is the New York GOP in such disrepair? Well, I can trace the downfall back about 17 years. Through the Reagan years, Rockefeller Republicans (the socially liberal, fiscally conservative former Democrats who kept Nelson Rockefeller in the Governor's chair for 14 years) dominated the New York landscape. In the 1970's, they kept Jacob Javitz in power, and later Al D'Amato. They elected Malcolm Wilson and kept 1982 GOP candidate Lewis Lehrman within striking distance of being Governor. They kept New York's House seats on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley in GOP control through the 1980's. Then came 1990.

The 1990 New York Gubernatorial Race was the beginning of the downfall. Democrat Mario Cuomo was up for reelection. He was still fairly popular, but after eight years, his popularity was beginning to fade. With crime at it's peak in New York City and with white flight bringing down Albany, Rochester and Buffalo, law and order issues became prevalent. Cuomo, an opponent of the death penalty, was considered soft on crime to many New Yorkers, however his stance on social issues and on economic issues were favorable with New Yorkers. Seeing a chance to defeat him, the GOP nominated a candidate who can win over New York's liberal voters, but also satisfy their desire for tough leadership on crime and drugs. They nominated Pierre Rinfret (almost at random after 19 other people said no), and made him the "crime and punishment" candidate.

Only one problem...social and economic conservatives HATED him. Rinfret (pronounced rin-FRAY). The Montreal-born, Queens raised economist had been an advisor to Democratic presidents Kennedy and Johnson, was pro-choice and supported gay rights. In New York politics, the minor parties (such as the Conservative, Right-to-Life, Liberal, Independence and Working Families parties) can choose to either nominate on their line a major party candidate, which is usually the case, or nominate someone on their own. Democrats usually vie for the left-leaning Liberal and Working Families party nods to increase their vote numbers (and in 1990 Cuomo received those nominations), while the Republicans usually chase after the Conservative and Right-to-Life party nominations, while the Independence party can sometimes be the nomination that throws the election one way or the other (specifically in close elections).

Well Rinfret did not get the Conservative or Right-t0-Life nominations. The Conservative Party in New York had been strong before, having elected a US Senator, James Buckley, on their ticket in 1970. (Buckley lost in 1976 when he ran as a Republican.) The Conservatives nominated Brooklyn-bred Herbert London on their line, while the Right-to-Life party nominated Louis Wein. This led to a three way race among voters on the right (who weren't the majority as is ).

Cuomo won 53% of the vote, which clinched him the election either way, but Rinfret, the Republican, won 21%, while London took 20%. London's Conservatives nearly overtook the Republican candidate. This essentially and legally would've reduced the Republican party to a third party in New York, with the Conservatives being the main opposition. The Republican party had been damaged.

Over the next few years, in an effort to prevent a split like 1990, the GOP began nominating candidates favorable to the Conservatives. This didnt play well in liberal-leaning New York. Although it was successful with George Pataki (who probably would've lost reelection in 2002 if not for Tom Golisano btw), it cost them numerous state legislature seats, Congressional seats, nearly ousted Al D'amato in 1992 and finally did oust him in 1998.

Today, 17 years after the 1990 Republican Civil War, the New York GOP has been reduced to essentially the 1990 New York Conservative party (with a few GOP holdovers). What was the New York GOP has seemingly become Democratic-leaning independents, willing to vote for only certain Republicans (aka Pataki and Giuliani.) The rightward shift of the Republican party in social issues and economic both out of necessity and to fit in nationally, has reduced the number of staunch Republicans in the state. While Republicans still hold a dominating force in name only, especially in the suburbs, these Republicans are really swing voters who have been leaning Democratic over the years. The four Democratic statewide victories of 69%, 67%, 60% and 58% in 2006 show that these Republican voters are no longer 100% loyal to their party.

New York Republicans are disappearing...and fast.

Special Election Results and News

Since I'm out of town, I wasn't following yesterday's special elections for the two NYC Council seats...I just remembered about them. So here they are...

In Brooklyn's 40th City Council District, centered around Flatbush, Democrat Mathieu Eugene defeated nine other candidates to win the seat with a plurality win of 34%. Eugene is the first Haitian-American ever elected to the City Council. He replaces Democrat Yvette Clarke who was elected to the US House of Representatives in November.

In Staten Island's 51st City Council District, which includes most of Central and Southern Staten Island, Republican State Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio defeated his opponent with 71% of the vote. Ignizio replaces Andrew Lanza, another Republican, who was elected to the State Senate in November.

More Specific results will be posted here when the Board of Elections publicly releases them.

Ignizio's State Assembly seat is vacant, meaning three (possibly four) State Assembly seats are currently vacant, two alone on Staten Island. A Special Election for the 61st State Assembly district, vacated by the passing of Democrat John Lavelle last month, has been scheduled for March 27th. The special election for DiNapoli's State Assembly seat in Nassau County is also scheduled for March 27th. A Special Election date for Ignizio's now vacant seat in Staten Island have not been set yet.

Right To Love

Saint Valentine believed it, and we should today...Government has no right telling people who they can love and whether or not they're allowed to show it.

Today sbould be more than chocolates, candy message hearts, flowers, balloons, kisses and sex. It should be about the underlying message left to us by the patron saint of lovers who lived 1800 years ago.

In 269AD, Emperor Claudius II found his military population dwindling. Roman men were not staying in the military longer than they had to. The emperor believed this to be because men cared more about marrying and raising a family then defending the empire in the far off borders in the military. Claudius therefore cancelled all marriages and refused to allow any.

Saint Valentine wouldn't allow it. He continued to marry Roman men and women, even though the emperor had banned it. Saint Valentine did not care if those he was marrying were Christian, Jew or pagan, her married them. Love doesn't come with labels. The emperor, seeing Saint Valentine as a threat to his power had him beatened and beheaded for conducting illegal marriages. Claudius II made a martyr out of Saint Valentine and since he was a Christian priest, Claudius added fuel to the alredy existing fires of persecution against the Christian minority. Neverthless, Saint Valentine died leaving behind the message that love trumps all and everybody has the right to commit to those they love...publicly.

Here in New York, we are lucky to live in a state where a majority of the population aren't bigots. We don't believe our government, like Emperor Claudius II, has any right dictating who can get married, to whom and when. More than half of all New Yorkers support marriage rights for LGBT Americans. Governor Spitzer also supports legalization of gay marriage.

While this is not an issue that may be taken up right away, as the new Governor has bigger fish to fry, but with the Governor's 69% mandate, the Democratic super majority in the State Assembly, and the slim two seat majority for the liberal Republicans in the Senate (thanks to the victory just last week of Democrat Craig Johnson, a gay rights support in a Long Island State Senate race against anti-gay rights Republican Maureen O'Connell,) we may soon see the Empire State become the first state to legalize gay marriage through legislative action...and no one can argue legislative action.

The bigots will argue New York has "activist" politicians. The religious zealots will argue New York will be damned to hell and the sky will fall upon Manhattan...but we here in New York understand what is right.

We here in New York understand love cannot be restricted.

Happy Valentine's Day

Special Election Alerts!

On the heels of the recent Special Election for State Senate in northwestern Nassau County, there are numerous other special elections that will occur in the near future to look out for. Some dates have been set, others have not.

1.) New York State Assembly- District 16
-The seat of now-State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Located in Northwestern Nassau County (entirely in the 7th State Senate district, where the last special election was held), it includes Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington, Plandome, Roslyn, North Hills, East Hills, Manhasset Hills, parts of New Hyde Park, Mineola and Albertson. Leans Democratic. Special Election date to be set.

2.) New York State Assembly- District 61
-The seat of the late Assemblyman John Lavelle. A Democrat, Lavelle passed away in late January, leaving the seat vacant. The district includes a hugh swath of Northern Staten Island, including Port Richmond, St George, Tompkinsville, Castleton Corners, Westerleigh and Arlington. District is competitive, but leans Democratic. Special Election date still to be set.

3.) New York State Assembly- District 65
-The seat of former Assemblyman Alexander B. Pete Grannis, a Democrat. Governor Spitzer appointed Grannis to be Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation in his cabinet. The district is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and includes most of the island between 59th St and 96 St, from Lexington Ave to the East River and Roosevelt Island. Grannis has held the seat for over 30 years. It was competitive back then, but may be overwhelmingly Democratic today. Special Election yet to be set.

4.) New York City Council District 40
-The seat of now Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. District is located mainly in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Is heavily Democratic. Special Election to be held February 20th

5.) New York City Council District 51
-The seat of now Republican State Senator Andrew Lanza. District is located in Southern Staten Island and includes the neighorhoods of Tottenville, Huguenot, Annadale, and Rossville. It is the city's most Republican seat. Special Election to be held February 20th. The only announced candidate in Republican State Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio

If Ignizio wins the Council race, there will be ANOTHER special election...so stay tuned