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This belongs to you. Take it back...
Andrea Stewart-Cousins 
Sun May 03, 2009 at 20:25:27 PM EDT
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MTA is heading for a major problem. The failure of the Legislature to pass any sort of plan earlier in the year is coming back to bite us all, and the proposed rate increases are staggering. Currently Governor Paterson is pushing a quick fix plan that will utilize a 1% payroll tax on businesses in the metropolitan counties. There was also a compromise plan that would lower the rates paid by a county the further they are away from the city. Furthermore, school districts are promised a reimbursement to avoid unduly increasing property taxes.
Four Democrats are the on-record holdouts to this plan. Their names might surprise you, as you'll find over the fold.
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Sun Oct 12, 2008 at 14:40:48 PM EDT
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Challengers Rick Dollinger, Joe Addabbo, and Brian X. Foley, along with incumbents Malcolm Smith, Eric Schniderman, and Andrea Stewart-Cousins were endorsed by New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and GunFreeKids.org primarily because their Republican opponents' voting records in favor of gun policies that belong in Kansas instead of New York
"For nearly eight years, the leadership in the State Senate has blocked almost every piece of common-sense gun legislation passed by the Assembly," said Andy Pelosi, President of GunFreeKids.org. "It's time for good policy to trump politics in the State Senate."
This year microstamping and improved gun dealer regulations - both important law enforcement tools to help investigate and pursue crime guns and the criminals who use them - are at the top of the groups' agendas. In 2008, the State Assembly passed both bills, but the Senate refused to act.
(snip)
The Endorsed State Senate Candidates Are:
Brian Foley, Third Senate District (Long Island)
Senator Malcolm Smith, 14th Senate District (Queens)
Joseph Addabbo, Jr., 15th Senate District (Queens)
Senator Eric Schneiderman, 31st Senate District (Manhattan/Bronx)
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, 35th Senate District (Westchester)
Rick Dollinger, 56th Senate District (Greater Rochester)
This should be a nice finger-in-the-eye of the rediculous argument that New York Republicans are more moderate than their national counterparts. They're not. And I believe this is a huge reason why New York's suburbs are trending Democratic. In fact, this week Nassau County officially became more Democratic than Republican:
For decades, voters in Nassau County elected no one but Republicans. The party machine was so powerful that President Ronald Reagan once said "when a Republican dies and goes to heaven it looks a lot like Nassau County."
The shift to Democratic began in 2001 with the election of County Executive Tom Suozzi.
As of Tuesday, Democrats outnumbered Republicans by 118 votes. In 2002, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by more than 66,000 votes.
Keep on going that extremist road, Sens. Maltese, Trunzo, and Robach- please.
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Thu May 08, 2008 at 14:43:52 PM EDT
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Remember a few months ago when Nick Spano launched that new site asking the residents of the 35th if he should run again? Well, apparently the good folks of SD-35 have spoken as Spano tells Politics on the Hudson that he's choosing the "spend more time with my family" route.
Nick Spano says no to a campaign in 2008!
Former state Sen. Nicholas Spano just called to say he has decided NOT to run for his old seat this fall, leaving the GOP in search of another candidate to take on Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
"This was a very difficult decision." Spano, 54, told Politics on the Hudson. "As my father would always tell me, never go back, always move forward."
Spano confessed that the 35th Senate District's changing demographics and strong Democratic enrollment played a role in his decision not to run. But he insisted the key factor was his desire to "smell the roses" a bit longer.
"I will focus my attention right now on things I've never been able to do before, like spend time with my wife, my kids and the family," Spano said.
That leaves Mary Mahon as the only declared GOP challenger to freshman state Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. This seat was supposed to be one of Bruno's top targets this cycle. Now it looks as if Stewart-Cousins is very much in the driver's seat.
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Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 15:28:49 PM EST
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No slow news Friday here as it looks like we may have two GOP state Senate challengers coming into focus. Interestingly, they are both looking to unseat Democratic women.
First, Azi is reporting that City Hall staffer Fred Kreizman is contemplating a run against SD-23 Senator Diane Savino.
According to two Republican sources, City Hall staffer Fred Kreizman is considering a run for state Senate on their line against Democrat Diane Savino, whose district includes parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Kreizman works in the Community Assistance Unit and has previously taken some time off from work to help Republican state Senate candidate Maureen O'Connell on Long Island, who lost her special election race earlier this year to Democrat Craig Johnson.
He's not the only republican considering a challenge according Azi's GOP source.
One of the two Republican sources I spoke with said Kreizman is still contemplating whether to run, and that there are other Republican candidates who are looking to enter the race.
Interesting. Next, Liz is reporting that former LIRR attorney, Mary Mahon may be about to make a run at the SD-35 seat held by freshman Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
The Long Island Railroad's former top lawyer, who is suing the Spitzer administration for allegedly firing her for purely political purposes, has a new target: Democratic Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Mary Mahon, an ex-Pataki appointee, has quietly started making calls to supporters to announce her intent to challenge Stewart-Cousins in the 35th SD this year, and recently launched a campaign Web site.
She has also retained a fundraiser: Patrick Donohue, who formerly worked to Pataki's ex-fundraiser, Cathy Blaney, but is now out on his own shaking the trees on behalf of a wide range of clients - including Democratic 2009 comptroller candidate/Councilwoman Melinda Katz.
In December, Mahon filed a a lawsuit against MTA boss Elliot Sander, alleging she was fired in a round of political housekeeping.
One of Gov. Eliot Spitzer's first acts on Day One was to sign an executive order that prohibited his agency and authority heads from considering political affiliation as a condition of employment or when awarding state contracts.
The battle for the state Senate '08 is officially on.
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Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 15:34:56 PM EST
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Former Republican state Senator Nick Spano, the man who ran what was easily the nastiest, most racist campaign in New York back in 2006, wants to hear from you:
Throughout the past year, I have been approached by numerous people who have urged me to try to reclaim the Senate seat I held for 20 years. While I have not yet reached a decision, I do know that a Senate run is not possible without candid feedback from you.
This website will allow me to share my thoughts with you while collecting the opinions of the people who will ultimately help me to make this crucial decision.
As you know, I spent my entire adult life representing Westchester County in the State Capitol. I'm sure that it will come as no surprise that I miss the challenges of the State Legislature. I miss the competition, and I miss the fight! My passion is and always will be improving the quality of life for our children and families.
When Governor Eliot Spitzer and Andrea Stewart-Cousins ran in 2006, they ran on a platform that everything would change on "Day One." I have refrained from making any commentary about their performances thus far but now, I would like to hear from the citizens of our county. Do you think things have changed? Are we being well-represented in Albany? Should I consider a return to the Senate?
I know this is an unusual request but I am interested in your evaluation of Senator Cousins' performance and ability to deliver for the 35th Senate District. Please e-mail me at nick@nickspano.com
Maybe you'd like to remind him of this:
Welcome to Westchester County, the Deep South of New York State.
That's the message supporters of powerful Republican State Sen. Nick Spano gave to hundreds of black and Hispanic Westchester residents on Election Day with an ugly campaign of voter intimidation at several polling sites.
"For most of the day, it felt like I was in the South," said one Democratic Party lawyer.
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The worst example was seen at the Police Athletic League gymnasium on North Broadway in Yonkers, a largely minority neighborhood.
A large throng of Republican volunteers, many of them wearing Yonkers Fire Department shirts and union caps, gathered inside the polling place and repeatedly challenged the signatures of many of those coming in to vote, said Frank Streng, a White Plains attorney who visited the North Broadway site in the late afternoon as a Democratic Party legal monitor.
The widespread challenges led to long lines of angry black voters. Eventually, Streng convinced police and county election officials to show up and reduce the number of Republican poll-watchers. The law allows only three per election district.
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The leaders of this union of mostly black and Hispanic workers did everything they could to defeat a progressive black woman Democratic candidate in Westchester. They did so even as their Republican allies in that race were intimidating black voters.
nick@nickspano.com
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Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 11:45:03 AM EDT
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Liz Benjamin has a great rundown of early fundraising numbers in key state Senate districts. One thing that really stands out are the contributions from SEIU/1199 to Democrats. This come after years of staunch support from the union (and especially from now departed union head and close Bruno friend, Dennis Rivera) for Senate Republicans.
Two cases really stand out. SEIU has made contributions to two freshman Democratic Senators after fiercely supporting those Dems opponents in hotly contested races last cycle.
In the 7th SD, lost by the GOP in a Feb. 6 special election, Democratic freshman Craig Johnson has raised $63,750 since his last filing, spent $49,783 and has $102,213 on hand.
Among Johnson's contributors was SEIU/1199 ($8,500), a longtime ally of the Republican Senate majority, which backed his opponent, Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell, in the special election.
- In the 35th SD, where freshman Democratic Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins ousted Republican Nick Spano in her second attempt (she came within 18 votes of beating him in 2006), she has raised $34,825 since January, spent $32,107 and has just $12,843 on hand.
SEIU/1199, which backed Spano, contributed $5,000 to Stewart-Cousins.
Could it be that SEIU sees the writing on the wall? I mean, they went all out in a truly ugly campaign, one which the Daily News described thusly:
The leaders of this union of mostly black and Hispanic workers did everything they could to defeat a progressive black woman Democratic candidate in Westchester. They did so even as their Republican allies in that race were intimidating black voters.
And lets not forget that in the special election that Craig Johnson won back in February, SEIU not only contributed to his opponent, Maureen O'Connell, but produced a series of TV spots on her behalf. (spots that were far superior in quality than anything produced by the O'Connell campaign, btw.)
Is it a matter of Bruno buddy Dennis Rivera moving on to greener pastures? Or does SEIU see change on the horizon and want to begin a healing process with the Governor and Senate Dems as soon as possible?
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Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 11:31:01 AM EDT
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It's only July of 2007, but that isn't stopping the increasingly narrow and endangered GOP Senate majority from going on the offensive in an effort to save their skins. They are launching a new website lambasting the Senate Dems and claim to be targeting at least ten seats held by Democratic incumbents. It sounds to me like a pretty tall order for a party in serious decline statewide, but Uncle Joe does have a pretty impressive fundraising machine. Of course, this is exactly why Bruno has been so hostile to campaign finance reform. Milking the crap out of the status quo is the only hope he's got to preserve his majority. Danny Hakim has the scoop:
Senate G.O.P. Planning Offensive to Hold Fort
Republicans are preparing an unusually public political counterattack in the face of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s designs on retaking the State Senate for the first time in more than four decades.
As part of that, they have set up a new Web site, www.nyinjeopardy.com, which cheekily lambastes 10 of the 29 Senate Democrats whom Republican strategists see as particularly vulnerable in next year’s election. The Republicans plan to make the 10 Democrats the focus of a media and advertising campaign in the coming weeks.
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Among the senators considered vulnerable to challenge is Craig M. Johnson, the Nassau County Democrat who won a bitter special election this year, a blow to one of the Republicans’ most reliable strongholds, where all nine Long Island seats had long been Republican. Another is Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who defeated Nicholas Spano last year in another closely watched race; both Hillary and Bill Clinton appeared at a fund-raiser for Ms. Stewart-Cousins late in the campaign.
Other Democrats on the list include Jeffrey D. Klein of the Bronx, Toby Ann Stavisky of Queens, Suzi Oppenheimer of Westchester, David J. Valesky of Syracuse, John D. Sabini of Queens, Kevin S. Parker of Brooklyn, Diane J. Savino of Brooklyn and Liz Krueger of Manhattan.
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On Tuesday, Senate Republicans reported nearly $2.6 million in donations to their central campaign accounts, compared with roughly $626,000 for Senate Democrats. Donors included Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who gave $100,000 in February, and a wide range of interests who see Mr. Bruno as a counterweight to the increasing Democratic dominance of New York.
The article quotes Matthew Walter, a spokesman for the NYRSC, as saying, “The goal is to be aggressive and to ensure that the people within these Senate districts know where exactly their representatives stand."
I'm more than fine with that. In fact, we are working on something that will hopefully do exactly that.
Regardless, I think the fact that they are starting as early and aggressively as they are shows a couple of things pretty clearly.
1. They're scared. They know that this is an existential fight for them.
2. They aren't going down without a hell of a fight. The battle for the state Senate will be epic.
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Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 19:22:10 PM EST
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State Senate Republicans are apparently playing the Grinch for residents of District 35. Much of the pork "member Item" grants promised to organizations in the district by recently defeated state Senator Nick Spano, are being retracted as new Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins prepares to take office says Politics on the Hudson:
 Democratic state Senator-elect Andrea Stewart-Cousins is pressing her soon-to-be Republican colleagues to honor commitments made by her predecessor Nick Spano, whom she defeated last month.
In a press release issued yesterday, Stewart-Cousins said she was “shocked and outraged” to hear Senate Republicans are pulling member item, or “pork” funding for non-profits promised by Spano.
In a Dec. 18 Journal News story by political reporter Glenn Blain, Spano said some organizations already were being informed they would lose promised funds. One such organization to acknowledge its funding had been pulled is the SPCA of Westchester.
Spano, a 28-year state legislator, had a lot of pull in the Senate and often touted his ability to bring member item dollars to his district as one reason voters should choose him.
Wow. Can you say "sore losers"?
This illustrates one of my biggest problems with member item spending, the lack of any discernible standards or formal process for the "awarding" of such grants. Many supporters of the funded organizations will say that their programs are worthy of public funding for the good that they do and for many, many of these entities, I have to agree. They are indeed worthy, though I feel they should be funded from the general fund as opposed to this highly partisan "process" of legal bribery.
That said, either the SPCA of Westchester is worthy of state funding or it isn't and this should have nothing to do with who won their recent local state Senate race. Why are the SPCA and all these other organizations being forced to go without because the voters of the 35th District decided to change state Senators?
Stay tuned for a new albany project project, much in the vein of No Reform? No Raise! to be announced shortly.
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Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 13:15:00 PM EST
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Heaven forbid that a member of the State Senate be in any way accountable to the voters.
From Politics On the Hudson:
Redistricting Re-Visited
State Sen. Nicholas Spano has not yet conceded to Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins, but local Republicans are already pointing fingers at Joe Bruno and the Republican leaders in the state Senate for his expected loss.
At the heart of their anger is the redistricting plan adopted after the 2000 census, which, despite Spano's objections, took the Republican friendly town of Eastchester away from him and put it in the district of then-state Sen. Guy Velella of the Bronx.
What makes local GOP officials even more incredulous is the fact that Velella, at the time, was already under indictment on bribery charges. He later pleaded guilty and resigned his seat.
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Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 14:00:00 PM EST
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And, man, this one smells. It smells real bad.
From the New York Daily News:
Westchester goes Dixie
Friday, November 10th, 2006
Welcome to Westchester County, the Deep South of New York State.
That's the message supporters of powerful Republican State Sen. Nick Spano gave to hundreds of black and Hispanic Westchester residents on Election Day with an ugly campaign of voter intimidation at several polling sites.
"For most of the day, it felt like I was in the South," said one Democratic Party lawyer.
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Stewart-Cousins, Westchester's best-known black leader, was ahead by more than 2,100 votes. Spano, however, has refused to concede. He is clinging to the hope that a tally of absentee and affidavit ballots will erase his opponent's lead - one that withstood questionable tactics on Election Day.
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