Not sure what Brodsky thinks he will gain with this:
Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. informed me today that he intends to campaign "heavily, heavily, heavily" for his preferred AG candidate, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, and predicted the Westchester Democrat will "carry the Hispanic community - at least in the Bronx, if not all of the city."
That is, of course, a snub to Diaz Sr.'s colleague, Sen. Eric Schneiderman, who is touted by supporters as the strongest Democratic AG contender among black and Hispanic voters in the absence of a candidate of color among the hopefuls angling to replace AG Andrew Cuomo.
I'm not so sure that the person we need to police Albany should be touting support from Diaz and Sheldon Silver. But that's just my opinion.
In the second installment of our continuing series of interviews of Democratic State Senate challengers, I will be interviewing Tony Avella, who is challenging Frank Padavan in the 11th Senate District.
As most of us probably remember, Padavan barely, and I mean barely held off Councilman Jim Gennaro in 2008, winning by only 480 votes after a lengthy recount. In '08, the party didn't treat this race as a winnable one and little resources were sent Gennaro's way. They aren't making that mistake again. The 11th is seen as perhaps the best pick-up opportunity for the Dems this cycle and Avella has been attracting lots of party and grassroots support. His run in the Democratic primary for Mayor last year raised his name recognition, and while he ultimately did not secure the nomination, he ran a good outer-borough populist campaign and earned the respect of many throughout the city.
So I will be interviewing him and publishing it here on Monday. So, I again want to ask the readers at TAP, what would YOU ask Tony Avella?
In today's least surprising news, CBS2 is reporting that Charlie Rangel has cut some sort of deal, one that would avoid a public trial and which he would admit at least some of what has looked pretty obvious for quite some time.
New York Congressman Charles Rangel has reportedly cut a deal to admit to ethical wrongdoing and avoid a potentially humiliating public trial.
Harlem friends of Rangel tell CBS 2 they have been told that the details could be unveiled when the House Ethics Committee meets Thursday afternoon.
It's the culmination of two years of scandal for the 20-term Democratic lawmaker. At issue is whether the former head of the House Ways and Means committee will admit to any serious ethical wrongdoing. Rangel is being charged with misusing his office for fundraising, failure to disclose income, belated payment of taxes and possible help with a tax shelter for a company whose chief executive was a major donor.
First it was Newt Gingrich. Then it was Michele Bachmann. Now it's Sarah Palin getting involved in the NY-2 congressional race by endorsing Sean Hannity's best friend.
Right-wing radio host Sean Hannity is giving everything he's got to winning a Congressional seat for his best friend since third grade John Gomez.
But instead of talking about the issues facing Long Islanders, Hannity is working to prop up Gomez with support from a bunch of right-wing names from far far away.
Sarah Palin lost the 2008 election. She resigned as governor. She can't vote in my district. And I am not about to let this become an election about who Sarah Palin likes best.
While my opponent is busy on Facebook with Palin, or meeting Gingrich at a private jet terminal, or standing shoulder to shoulder with Michele Bachman and the Tea Party, I am going to be busy talking to Long Islanders about the economy, about jobs and about tax fairness for middle class families.
It's time for the third edition in our weekly roundup of news from the Democratic campaigns for the New York State Senate. This week we've got a bevy of endorsements from the Women's Campaign Forum, HRC and more.
As always, if you see that we missed something, please include links to more news on New York State Senate campaigns in the comments. If you Tweet about any campaigns, please consider using the #NYSen10 hashtag. You can find all our challengers on Act Blue at the Change Albany Now page. If you'd like to follow these roundups on a daily basis, visit our blog or subscribe to our RSS feed. --Mike
The continued logic has been that Rev. Ruben Diaz isn't such a bad Democrat. Sure he was the main leader against marriage equality. Sure he supported and supports Monserrate and Espada no matter their treachery or corruption. But in the end, he's still a Democrat on most issues, right? If this sounds a little bit like Joe "With Us on Everything But the War" Lieberman, then you're not going to be surprised at the punchline. In a letter released today relating to marriage equality, Diaz Sr. officially crossed party lines and endorsed Frank Padavan over Tony Avella. And it was all over a single issue; marriage equality.
Senators Shirley Huntley, Frank Padavan and Hiram Monserrate were instrumental in joining me to defeat the gay marriage bill in the New York State Senate. Today the State of New York does not have legalized gay marriage and we have to praise God and thank Senators Shirley Huntley, Frank Padavan and Hiram Monserrate.
They all risked their chances of being elected in order to take this stand.
We in the Christian community - and all God-fearing people - owe them our support, our respect and our help.
The homosexual community has targeted the three of them and put candidates - funded with money from the homosexual community - so their candidate can vote for gay marriage next year.
Therefore, I am counting on all of you to not only pray for Senators Shirley Huntley, Frank Padavan and Hiram Monserrate, but to also offer them all of the support and help that you can give during their re-election efforts or elections to another position.
As a State Senator, a Pastor, and a Christian, I need Senators Shirley Huntley, Frank Padavan and Hiram Monserrate back in the New York State legislature for next year when the gay marriage issue will take top priority in New York State. We do not have the luxury of losing these three legislators who have fought so hard for our family, moral and traditional values in the State legislature.
That's right folks. Diaz Sr. supporting and endorsing a corrupt, expelled Senator and a crotchety anti-progress Republican going up against a strong, reform-oriented Democrat. In one of the best races in the state, in a year where redistricting and future control of the Senate is on the line, one of our 32 members of the State Senate caucus crosses over and gives his full support and blessings to Frank Padavan.
Well boys and girls, the campaign season is kicking into gear, and I have some exciting news to report.
US Senator Chuck Schumer will be the guest of honor at an event on Wednesday, August 11th, in support of Democrats from eight rural counties of western and central New York. The reception is at Sweet Briar on Route 63 south of Geneseo, starting at 4:30 PM.
Please reserve your tickets early, as the capacity of Sweet Briar is limited to just 200 people. First come, first served. Price is $50 for an individual or $75 for a couple. Tickets can be reserved by emailing Judith Hunter at judith.hunter@gmail.com, or by calling her at 585-615-2986.
Reid Pillifant at the Observer has a great analysis of the SD-33 race:
"If Espada wins, it sends a message that we Democrats are continuing to fail," said Mr. Samuels, who has pledged as much as $250,000 to defeat Mr. Espada. He raised the specter that a loss in this low-turnout Bronx district-where Mr. Espada last won the primary with only 4,988 votes-could help deliver the Senate to Republicans, giving them control over redistricting and ultimately threatening the progressive cause at the highest levels.
"Can you imagine losing [Jerry] Nadler or Carolyn Maloney? We don't want that to happen," he said. "This is the most important election. Not attorney general, not even the governor."
"He's got to be defeated this September," declared Bronx councilman and former attorney general Oliver Koppell, whose district overlaps with Mr. Espada's. "If we don't defeat him, we could lose the majority. And we also, in a sense, are losing our soul."
Koppell and Samuels are exactly right. If Pedro is on the Democratic line after September 14th, it puts a headwind on every Democrat running for the State Senate in November. Pedro is an corrupt, embarrassing vermin and he has no business being in the Democratic Party.
Luckily the anti-Espada movement is coalescing around Gustavo Rivera. However, it will still be hard to beat Pedro with his army of slave workers from Soundview providing his campaign with boots on the ground. He even admits as such in this interview with Liz from a few weeks ago (starting at 3:48), along with saying that God wants him to win, he is the epitome of the American dream, and he is being selectively prosecuted for being hispanic:
There should be no higher priority for all NY progressives than putting this piece of human garbage where he belongs: out of the legislature and in jail.
Once again, Senate Republicans have blocked needed legislation. This time, it's the "DISCLOSE Act," also known as the Schumer-Van Hollen campaign finance bill. This bill would create full disclosure of all campaign spending, even "independent" spending by corporations.
So naturally, Senate Republicans voted in a bloc to block it. The Senate vote was 57-41.
So far, every time Democratic leaders in the Senate have threatened to require a Republican filibuster to be in the form of an actual filibuster, including bringing sleeping cots into the Senate chamber, the Republicans have backed down. It's time to do it again -- force Republicans to go on television blocking full disclosure of campaign spending, or back down.
Since the bill, S.3295, is Chuck Schumer's, it stands to reason that he should be the one to pressure Harry Reid to take this step.
Imagine a DSCC commercial showing Republicans, in the middle of the campaign season, sleeping in the Senate while their big corporate surrogates are secretly paying for their campaign ads. Republicans are savvy enough to imagine this too. I believe they'll back down on this vital issue as well.
The fervor over the planned Cordoba House a few blocks from the World Trade Center continues with no end in sight. Statewide Republican candidates such as Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino have stumbled over each other to figure out who can sound like the stronger opponent against the plan and which one of them can call Andrew Cuomo an American-hating terrorist for his lack of outrage. National Republican leaders have jumped in and called on proponents to, uh, "refudiate" the charges that the sponsors are tied to Islamic terrorist organizations and that they don't want to destroy America.
Personally, I have a question that I'd like the opponents to "refudiate". Prove to me and the rest of us that you're not ignorant Islamophobic racists. Go ahead, I dare you.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand couldn't make it to Netroots Nation in Las Vegas (maybe she can make it to Netroots Nation: Minneapolis?) but she sent along a video thanking the netroots for their activism and dedication to the cause.
As advertised, I just finished interviewing Dave Mejias, the former Nassau Legislator who is challenging Kemp Hannon on the 6th Senate District. Thanks to all the TAP readers who suggested questions to ask Mejias. Here is the interview::
So I'll start by asking why are you running against Kemp Hannon? How do you think you would serve the constituents of the 6th district better?
After 34 years in Albany, Kemp Hannon has forgotten who he represents. He works harder for party bosses and political insiders to maintain the status quo than he does for us. Why else would he have blocked ethics reform, voted to raise taxes over 400 times and most recently voted against restoring school aid?
Speaking of reform, what sort of political and electoral reforms would you support and what would be your priority? Specifically, what are your stances on independent redistricting, and campaign finance reform?
As a County Legislator, I represented a district that was 2-1 Republican. Every election was decided by a razor thin margin. That meant that I had to work hard for the people I represented to get re-elected, and that's the way it should be. That's why I support an independent redistricting commission. Senator Hannon has spent his career ensuring that he and his colleagues have easy re-elections. That's why, in the last 5 years, more incumbent state legislators have been indicted than have lost re-election.
Do you support campaign finance reform such as clean money, clean elections?
Yes, I do. The contribution limits currently are too high. There is a corporate loophole that must be closed, and using campaign contributions for quasi-personal benefits should be outlawed.
Would you have voted for the Governor's recent budget and budget cuts? If not, how would you recommend balancing the budget and how would you reduce the structural budget deficit?
First, we need better budgeting practices. For instance, there is no multi-year financial plan for the budget. This simple measure would force the government to consider the consequences of current expenditures and revenue sources. In addition, public authorities and their debt, which ultimately are the financial obligations of the state, must be considered during the budget process.
There are a host of tenant bills that have failed to see the light of day in the current Senate (thanks in large part to Sen. Espada). Your district has properties that fall under Rent Control and Rent Stabilization regulations -- what is your position generally on the Assembly passed tenant bills and most specifically the repeal of vacancy decontrol?
These bills are critical to keeping people in New York State. They should be given an open and fair hearing and voted on.
So you would vote for them if they came to the floor?
Too often, the special interests get their hands on bills and make serious changes before they get to the floor (another reason why we need serious ethics reform), so I would need to see the final version before making a decision. But we need to do all we can to make housing affordable.
Do you support Marriage Equality for all New Yorkers? And will you co-sponsor a bill in the next legislative session if elected?
I support Marriage Equality for all New Yorkers, and I would co-sponsor the bill if elected. As County Legislator, representing one of the most conservative districts in the county, I supported the Domestic Partnership Registry , even though it failed.
Would you vote for Pedro Espada for majority leader assuming he isn't in jail and has won re-election in the next session?
Unlike Senator Hannon, I would NEVER have voted for Pedro Espada to be Majority Leader, and I never will.
Do you support reversing the course the state has taken in de-funding the MTA over the past two decades? If so, do you have specific ideas for increasing revenue streams for the MTA?
Living on Long Island, I sit in traffic a lot. I am all for less cars on the road and greater use of public transportation. The MTA, and the state, have not done a good job of leveraging federal funding, especially stimulus money.
What are your ideas for increasing the clean energy economy in New York? And what do you think of the proposed plan for the Long Island - New York City (LI-/NYC) Off Shore Wind Project?
I am very proud to have the endorsement of the League of Conservation voters, and to have been named their Nassau County Environmentalist of the Year in 2006. As a legislator, I sponsored and passed laws that exempted solar panels from sales tax and required the county to purchase 20 percent of its energy from renewable resources. So I support increasing the clean energy economy in NY.
What is your plan to reduce property taxes in suburban areas like Long Island? What are your feelings about municipal consolidation?
We have 400 taxing jurisdictions in Nassau County alone. My tax bill has 21 different tax lines on it.This is one of the main reasons why our taxes are too high. In addition, unfunded mandates may look good for politicians during election seasons, but in reality are crippling local governments and school districts. We must put an end to unfunded mandates. In addition, governments must work more efficiently. We must continually root out waste fraud and abuse and grow our economy which would increase sales tax revenue, thus limiting our reliance on property taxes.
If you have some time, there is a segment from this year's Netroots conference, called Primaries Matter worth watching. I have advocated, over the objections of several others here, that primaries matter. Right now the state senate primaries matter most. (See video on the flip)
As Markos points out in the video, the only way we are going to get better government, which reflects progressive values, at any level of government, is to have MORE and BETTER Democrats. This has been the goal in this year's NYS Senate campaign since we first opened the discussion at last year's Netroots meeting.
We will get more Democrats this November, but for the next seven weeks (September 14), grassroots and progressive activists should focus their energies on the primary races. These primaries will not get us more Democrats in the state senate, but we can get some better ones. Referencing BingChester's Ranker #2, the three in the top eleven are Gustavo Rivera, Charlie Ramos and Lynn Nunes. Yes, there are a few other primaries, but these are the three which will make the difference.
The Associated Press reported a few hours ago that there has been yet another natural gas-related explosion in Pennsylvania. Two workers were killed.
From the article:
The accident is the latest misfortune to strike the region's burgeoning natural gas industry.
Last month, a well in north-central Pennsylvania without proper pressure-control systems exploded as a crew was preparing to hook it up to a pipeline. No one was injured.
A few days later, seven people were injured in a rig explosion in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle when the drilling crew struck a pocket of methane gas while sinking a natural gas well through an abandoned coal mine.
-snip-
In northeastern Pennsylvania, state environmental officials have said construction flaws in gas wells were responsible for allowing gas to seep into the area's groundwater.
Upon learning of the accident, David Sager, candidate for NY State Senate 42nd District, issued the following statement:
"My heart goes out to the families of those lost and my attention steers straight towards those who recklessly pursue an untested industry in high volume liquid hydrofracking. The residents of this region are not your guinea pigs and our lives and resources are not yours to destroy."
It is really starting to look like Pedro's days embarrassing our party and bringing Albany to new lows are numbered:
Said Angel Seymore, a tenant and constituent of Sen. Espada's from Kingsbridge Road:
"Is Pedro Espada afraid of his own constituents? First he tries to have an exclusive, invitation-only town hall 'forum' where only certain people are invited, then cancels the event when word gets out.
"When will Pedro Espada finally face the people he is supposed to represent and answer their questions? Why does he continue to take thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from landlords and lobbyists while ignoring the needs of tenants? Why does the senator keep the most important bills for tenants -- the repeal of vacancy decontrol and the protection of Mitchell-Lama and Section 8 apartments -- bottled up in his housing committee instead of passing them to the Senate floor?"
This also brings up an important point. While Pedro has been an absolute disgrace for his actions that are illegal, like the corruption surrounding his state-funded campaign army otherwise known as Soundview, his legal doings, like his voting record in the legislature is also a disgraceful sell-out to the special interests that rule Albany.
