After Close Call in Primary, Breslin Will Cruise to Victory Against Lackluster Conservatives
After fending off the toughest inner-party challenge of his 14 years in the legislature, Sen. Neil Breslin faced off against his two general election challengers in what will likely be the campaign's only debate. The Republicans have nominated an army guy who is, of course, a small business man by the name of Bob Domenici. Michael Carey, a mental health reform advocate has started his own party to seek the seat after he discovered he wasn't a Republican after all.
I had meant to attend the debate, but determined that not much that was said there could affect the outcome of the race. It might have had humorous value, as have other recent major debates in New York state politics. The Times Union's headline and lead in to the story confirmed this:
Candidates talk morality
Thursday, October 21, 2010
COLONIE -- In a state in which the rising property tax burden is supposedly prodding voters toward revolt, the three candidates vying for Albany County's state Senate seat spent a lot of time Wednesday talking about morality.
Breslin will of course win the debate now that his third party opponent has proven to be an ultra-religious nut despite his good intentions. And Albany County's Democratic registration advantage is 2-1 over the Republicans, so he's had the general in the bag since winning the primary challenge mounted by Luke Martland last month.
But by surprise, this usually stomach-turning issue of religion and morality in politics lead this anti-Breslin partisan to actual decide to do the unthinkable and pull the level fill in the oval for Breslin this year. The candidates' discussion on the issue of same-sex marriage detailed below the fold leaves me no choice...
Breslin Relies on Big $$ Advertising, Martland on Shoe-Leather and Big Momentum
Welcome back once again. It's been only a few days since our last update to the hottest political contest in Albany County this year. But with incumbent Senator Neil Breslin and primary challenger Luke Martland in the final push of what has become one of the most expensive primaries in the state, the news of Breslin's defense of the status quo and Martland's defiant stand against the established order continues to draw more attention.
A neat synopsis of the above-mentioned qualities of the race was presented by the local cable news channel YNN, formerly Capital News 9. For those looking for a quick wrap-up of where things stands, this is a good entry. Luke Martland gives a great interview while barnstorming the area, nicely juxtaposed against quoted text responses from a Breslin campaign spokesperson.
The rest of the story, including the Times Union' weak endorsement of Senator Breslin and continued debate over this race's relationship to Senator Pedro Espada, lies below the fold...
Sen. Breslin's Political Future In Question Thanks to Martland's Spirited Primary Challenge
Welcome to another edition of State of the Race for the Albany County State Senate seat. Incumbent Senator Neil Breslin and his challenger Luke Martland are both in the fight of the thier lives as Breslin seeks to defend his seat of 14 years and Martland looks to turn years of public service experience into his first elected position. It has evolved from a safe-bet for the Senator to an outside chance that Albany County might just get a new State Senator.
The Times Union's Jordan Carleo-Evangelist profiled the race for newspaper readers at the one-week-to-go mark. If you missed the previous editions of the State of the Race or are just tuning in as many voters may be, this article is a great summary of how things look and how we got here. Everything is covered, from Breslin's place as one of three ruling brothers in Albany County to his widely publicized gaffe on prior-approval to Martland's crticisms of his insurance lobby bankroll and even a testament to just how well Martland is doing with voters. It is highly recommended reading for those hoping to catch up in the last few days before the primary.
For regular readers, welcome back! And get ready for the biggest update yet, in the shortest time frame since our previous edition, as we head into the home stretch in the most important Democratic primary in the Capital Region this year...
Post-Debate Media Narrative Solidifies as Candidates Hit the Airwaves, Papers
In our pre-Labor Day update to last week's installment, the State of the Race moves from previewing a defining debate between incumbent Senator Neil Breslin and his Democratic primary challenger Luke Martland, to rounding up how the arguments played out at the event and in the media.
Needless to say, the debate itself has garnered plenty of coverage. So have the recent meetings of the candidates with various editorial boards around Albany County. The candidates have moved from establishing a narrative in the media to having to build upon it, re-shape it based on how their opponents have shaken things up.
In that sense, Senator Breslin this past week has finally summoned his deep political power in the district and has been campaigning more actively. This lead Martland to continue sharpening his criticisms of his opponent, and evena few other sources echoed these concerns. And the race continues to attract deeper local and more prominent statewide attention.
Below the fold is your pre-Labor Day wrap up on anything and everything happening in this fast-developing race.
Media Coverage of Dark Horse Challenge Intensifies
Breslin Accepts Challenge To Debate Martland
In the race between 14-year incumbent Assitant Majority Leader Neil Breslin and his primary challenger Luke Martland news has been constant and consistent in the past week. So much so that infrequent as-it-happens or after-the-fact updates are implausible.
So begins the SD-46 State of the Race 2010 series, much in the same manner I ran the series for the 2008 Democratic Primary for Congress in NY-21 two years ago. While this one isn't quite that big, and no political story around this area is this year, Albany County's primary for State Senator has taken center stage along other major local races.
This entry will wrap up the last seven days activity on the campaign trail, and there was quite a bit of movement on both ends. To start, I no longer have to link to Sen. Breslin's official State Senate page; his name in blue now takes you to the campaign website that finally appeared this past week. The biggest news for me is that now both candidates finally have my interview questions, and their answers will be forthcoming.
But the biggest news for the voters is the big debate about to happen between the two candidates. Shortly after Martland challenged Breslin to return insurance-industry related donations, Martland then took his moment in the spotlight to challenge Breslin to a debate too.
It's happening tomorrow. So that's the setup for what's happened up until now, and a little bit of what to expect to come.
For what transpired in between, click below the fold for the state of the race...
Challenges Committee Chairman to Return Industry Contributions Cites Conflict of Interest Challenge to the Tune of $125K
In the past week, Senator Neil Breslin has been the subject of widespread scorn and scrutiny thanks to heavy play of this embarassing story. It revealed that Breslin, now Chairman and longtime ranking member of the Seante Insurance Committee, did not know what was in his own bill.
Yesterday, Luke Martland took full advantage of the recent scrutiny and held a press conference. Since the root cause of fiasco's like this is the influence of lobbyist money on both legislators and of lobbyists being the real writers of legislation, Martland has called on Breslin to return $125,000 in campaign funds, saying this money presents a conflict of interest to any Senator.
The story once again made broadcast headlines. For the record, CBS6 is still reminding folks of Breslin's "huh, wha?" folly in it's promotional spots. This video comes care of competitor WNYT, and other stations are also picking up the storyline. This is a huge change for the district: two years ago when Breslin faced his first primary challenge, nothing was ever braodcast on the race; this year, I have to hop between channels!
Here's the news coverage:
The full uncut Martland statement is below the fold.
Media Pile-On Begins as Insurance Committee Chairman Misinterprets His Own Law
Earlier this week, I reported that Autism awareness advocates were about to pile on the criticism of Senator Neil Bresln. I expected some kind of follow-up in the mainstream media, but last night, both Senator Breslin and I got more than we bargained for.
Check out this incriminating report first aired on CBS 6 News last night. It turns out the Insurance Committee chairman's big prior approval insurance bill that he's been saying covers all of us really only covers 25% of New Yorkers, and when broadcast journalist Jerry Gretzinger brought this up to him, it was news to him.
Put simply, Breslin has never looked worse on the news: Because he doesn't actually know what's in the bill he sponsored, pushed through his committee, and has been touting like WonderBread for months, he's stuck on camera having to call one of his aides for clarification. Watch for yourself:
Here's another good question: how long before this goes away with only four weeks until your primary against Luke Martland?
And the best answer will be: this isn't going away. Not only has Luke Martland's campaign already pounced, but immediately after the broadcast, CBS 6 started running promotional spots with highlights from this reel. Immediately! They've been running with it ever since, local radio stations are picking it up, and the follow-up even mentions Breslin's primary opponent. From the looks of tonight's newscast and Martland's response, this could be the spark that lights the powder keg. The story touches on nearly all the arguments Martland has been raising against Breslin.
Below the fold, Martland's full response to Breslin being caught with his pants down, and some additional video from the one television news broadcaster that has been giving this race the coverage it deserves.
Update 8/20:Here is the follow-up story, featuring commentary from Fred Dicker, aired last night:
But today, I recieved news from sources unnaffilliated with either campaign: Several autism advocacy groups are not-too-happy about a piece of legislation sponsored by Senator Breslin. While he called the legislation a landmark back in June, today groups like the Foundation for Autism Information and Research are calling on Gov. Paterson to veto the legislation.
They're not stopping there, either. Tomorrow at noon, fifteen total groups affilliated with this cause will be holding a rally in opposition to the Breslin autism bill at locations all over New York, including in front of the Capitol.
The full press release and the final wrinkle in all of this are below the fold.
The race for State Senate in Albany County sees Sen. Neil Breslin is seeking his eighth consecutive term as primary challenger Luke Martland makes his first run for public office. I've been watching events unfold and reporting them here for the past few months, always reserving the right to inject my own opinions.
But at least once a race, I like to give the candidates the opportunity to speak for themselves without any of my spin. In the coming days, both candidates have agreed to submit to an extensive series of questions from arguably their toughest constituents: myself, and my fellow TAPpers. Before I get my microcassette recorder prepped and ready (and it's been hell chasing down blank tapes in this digital age!) I'd like to give you guys the chance to sound off.
Sen. Neil Breslin
After winning election in 1996 and joining his two brothers in county-wide elected positions, Senator Breslin has risen to become Assistant Majority Leader and continues to enjoy wide support in this heavily Democratic county. But all State Senators these days are struggling with a strong general air of anti-incumbency, and have to answer for the specific troubles of this past term, from the 2009 Senate coup to this years wildly late budget. What issue would you ask Neil Breslin about?
Luke Martland
Luke Martland, on the other hand, is a political newcomer in the 46th. He is so far Breslin's best-funded and most-covered Democratic challenger in the press, but certainly faces an uphill battle. He is running as an openly gay candidate and has so far been persistent in his criticisms of the Senator, while also racking up some criticisms against himself. What critical questions might you ask Luke Martland yourself?
Here's you chance to get your answers straight from the horses mouth. The interviews will be conducted early next week and will appear here the two following weekends. Thanks for the input, wish me luck, and keep up the good work!
Tim Carney is Knocked Off the Ballot for Invalid Signatures Luke Martland Stands Alone in Challenge to Incumbent Sen. Neil Breslin
In early spring, Albany resident Tim Carney created two websites. The first was called timcarneyforassembly. The other was called timcarneyforsenate. Then, an Albany attorney named Luke Martland announced that he would challenge Senator Neil Breslin in a Democratic primary for sure. Carney's Assembly website dissappeared, and soon the local blogs were full of his wild assertations that he would win a three-way race against the 15-year incumbent with over $450K and his first well-funded Democratic challenger, Martland.
In the months between then and now, Carney lived up to his name, and gave me every reason to believe that his campaign for Senate would fail. We saw him post comical YouTube videos that nobody could take seriously, and even his "official" campaign announcement was a grade B political stunt. And while I'd love to share them with you for pure entertainment value, I feel I really should just hang on to those crazy e-mails Carney sent me when he didn't like me sharing my opinion that his campaign was, well, a joke.
As of this Friday, it isn't a joke anymore. It's history. The Times Union is reporting that Tim Carney has been removed from the ballot. While Carney was able to survive an initial challenge to his nominating petitions a week ago, this time the Martland campaign sued in State Supreme Court for a second review, and the ruling left Carney short...by two signatures.
Head on over to the TU article to see Carney lose it if you like. For the length of the time I've been watching this, I've known the real race was between Luke Martland and Neil Breslin, despite the overwhelming odds Martland may face. From the beginning, Tim Carney's campaign has been a sideshow, an example of what can happen in any district when an opportunistic, unqualified noise-maker decides they have what it takes to run for high office. Such campaigns are useful only for entertainment value so long as things end up like this.
Had Carney remained on the ballot, he would have split the vote of those who want progressive reform in this district. Now that he's off, things can return to where they should have been all along: a serious challenge between a powerful incumbent with both big money and the family political machine on his side...against an energetic new voice with naught but the courage of his convictions and just enough resources to get it done. Stay tuned for more as this two-way race develops.
There's a lot of chitter-chatter regarding this New York Uprising pledge that Ed Koch has tossed together. I'm of the opinion that the whole thing is a dumb stunt meant to benefit Ed Koch more than New York voters.
But it's got people's lips flapping, alright. Candidates of all stripes are coming out with their reasons why they did or did not sign their names point and click to get one the list, and of course jumping at the chance to explain why their opponents did or not do the same. Political theater, if you ask me, and today all the state's a stage.
Below the fold, the Democratic primary for State Senate in Albany County offers an interesting way to look at how three different candidates are taking three different approaches to this charade:
Or, The Gubernatorial Candidate Came To Town And All I Got To Talk About Is This Lousy State Senate Primary
It's been two years since I first attended the Albany County Democratic Party picnic. This weekend it was actually back in Albany County, but alas, I was unable to afford a ticket. Nevertheless, I revelled in the memories of having been the only volunteer for the first challenger to State Senator Neil Breslin there, and two years ago I paid close attention to the press coverage of the State Senate primary...which amounted to a single print story published less than a fornight prior to primary day...
But this year, the Albany Times Union made up for my lack of attendance in their prominent print story about the picnic published in this weekends' widely-circulated Sunday edition. And even though Democratic gubernatorial candidate and surefire newsworthy victor-to-be Andrew Cuomo was there, instead the biggest paper in SD-46 lead with this:
You couldn't get into the Albany County Democratic picnic Saturday without passing Tim Carney.
The Albany man pressed laminated palm cards into the hands of his fellow partisans, telling them he has a plan to lower property taxes by raising income taxes. Nearby, blue-shirted volunteers handed out stickers touting Luke Martland, a former prosecutor. The men have one thing in common: They believe Sen. Neil Breslin, a Bethlehem lawyer seeking his eighth term, has become part of the problem in a problematic chamber.
"We have some good visibility, and people see that we're a serious campaign who can turn out volunteers and turn out people," Martland said. "I've met a lot of people, and just talking to them about the dysfunction, and how the current Senate can't even pass a budget while their taxes are up as a result and jobs leave the state, and how I'm going to fight to change that. Is it Breslin's fault alone? No. But partly his fault? Absolutely."
Emphasis mine - SP
There's eight weeks to go in this primary cycle, two years later, and if it ain't in print, then it ain't real. This challenge may be controversial, but I've never seen press coverage like this, so it's definitely real.
So for the next eight weeks, get ready for a fit-to-print, real campaign (and for more details below the fold).
The Thursday deadline to get your signatures and balance sheets has come and gone if you're a New York State Senate candidate. In Albany County, three candidates have been at it, asking people for their John Hancocks and Ben Franklins to get them on the ballot and keep them well funded, and we have three very different results.
Defending incumbent Neil Breslin is in the upper echelon's of Senatorial cash hoarders. The Friends of Senator Breslin is reporting a haul of over $200,000. This was added to an opening balance in excess of that amount, for a grand total of over $414,000 cash on hand, one of the largest Senate war chests in the State.
Challengers Tim Carney and Luke Martland both handed in greater than the required amount of signatures to get on the ballot in the September primary. But only Martland has filed a financial report, since Carney's pull of less than a grand puts him in the "don't bother to file" category. It also very likely places him in the "non-competitive" category despite his grassroots tenacity. Luke Martland, on the other hand, has reported over $140,000 in total reciepts and has already outspent Breslin's campaign two to one, leaving him with about $55,000 in the bank.
Speaking of expenditures, I feel these items get a little lost when we all focus on how much people are taking in. I'm curious about what these candidates are doling out. Reports show that Breslin has been spreading the wealth to local Democratic committees and community associations. I'm not sure if this is common practice, but even if it is it sure looks like good old fashioned political patronage to me, and I find it inronic that Breslin is using all that insurance money to buy, well, more insurance.
On the other hand, Martland's spending reads like a virtual shopping list from a step by step how to run a local election instruction manual. These reports show us a candidate building a serious campaign from the ground up, and they prove beyond all doubt that Breslin has a truly serious challenger this year.
The Times Union's Capitol Confidential also lets us know that the Republicans, in Robert Domenici, have just $8,000 under their belt so far, which is, of course, not enough. But Martland's amount might be enough in such an anti-incumbent year and even against such odds when one considers where Breslin's cash comes from. Even CapCon and the other mainstream-media run blogs are running that meme now...
...and that's the fact more significant than any dollar figure or signature count. If Martland's message is able to catch hold, it could very well make up for Breslin's monstrous financial advantage. Either way, this looks like it will be Breslin's toughest re-election fight of his career, his race to lose, and will remain the biggest political news story of Albany County in 2010.
A full month after Luke Martland called on Senator Neil Breslin to fully disclose his list of clients, citing numerous credible sources, the Senator continues his refusal to confirm that there is no conflict of interest in his being an of counsel attorney at a union-busting and insurance-lobby law firm while the Senator sits as Chairman of the Insurance Committee in the Senate.
Today, Luke Martland adds gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo to his list of sources to bolster his argument:
BRESLIN IGNORES MARTLAND'S CALL FOR FULL DISCLOSURE OF TAX RECORDS, LAW FIRM CLIENT LIST AND SALARY
Andrew Cuomo Called for Full Disclosure in Acceptance Speech
June 3, 2010
(Albany) - Thirty days have passed since Senate candidate and former prosecutor Luke Martland called on 14-year incumbent Neil Breslin to release his tax records, law firm client list and salary. Martland released his own state and federal tax records to the press on Monday, May 3, 2010.
::
"It has been a month since I called on Neil Breslin to release his tax records, law firm client list and salary," said Martland. "If Breslin has nothing to hide, why doesn't he simply disclose this information," questioned Martland.
Martland's call for Breslin to release this information has been echoed by the Attorney General, the press, a large bar association and a federal judge.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo called for full disclosure of outside sources of income for lawmakers at his nomination acceptance speech last week.
::
Despite these calls for full disclosure, Breslin has repeatedly refused to divulge his law firm client list and law firm salary.
For the record, Cuomo's statement reads as such, from the transcript of his campaign announcement video:
My Clean Up Albany Plan will enact strict new ethics laws, require full disclosure of all legislators' outside income, and have a real independent monitor, because self-policing is an oxymoron.
I'm assuming Sen. Breslin is supporting the future Governor's election. But will he actually take action and reveal his client list, or will he prove Cuomo's axiom that "self-policing is an oxymoron" is true? A recent interview in the Legislative Gazette by Faith Burkins-Gizmet reveals Breslin's arrogance:
Martland recently called on Breslin to release his 2009 tax forms, including income from the law firm where Breslin is of counsel, Hiscock and Barclay.
Breslin maintains he has already done that, providing the documents to the Albany Times Union in January after the newspaper asked all lawmakers to disclose their finances.
Martland also demanded that Breslin release a list of his law firm's clients, citing that the public has a right to know if there is a possible conflict of interest.
Breslin said he finds this argument "absurd." He said none of his clients have any business with the Legislature, and they are guaranteed confidentiality by law. He said it would be an ethical violation if he were to disclose his clients' names.
There's nothing to be read from this except arrogance. Breslin seems to believe if he keeps on ignoring these calls that they'll simply go away. How he sees this stubborness helping his campaign is something I simply can't fathom. If he would only reveal the client list as Martland and Cuomo are saying, his challenger and this blogger would have to find something else to write about, right?
As it stands, without a list of names to confirm there is no conflict of interest, there's no proof there is none. But there is proof that, as Cuomo said, self-policing is an oxymoron:
Breslin's continued refusal to provide full disclosure. And that's only one of the reasons Senator Breslin needs to be offerred a retirement package in September's Democratic primary.
I feel like the subtitle of this blog be "Or, There and Back Again". Why? Because for the first half of the month of May I was on top of things here in Albany County, but for the second half I nearly disappeared into a hole in the ground.
No matter. I've returned to Bag End and will provide you with an update of the rest of May's adventure's in the Democratic primary between incumbent Senator Neil D. Breslin and challengers Luke Martland and Tim Carney to get things up to date.
In summary, we have a proposal to eliminate school property taxes by Mr. Carney, more condemnation of the incumbent and opening of campaign offices from Mr. Martland, a new round of names to consider as Republicans initiate their own primaries, and a predictable endorsement of Sen. Breslin from the county political machine.
Though I may be a day or two late on this, Senator Breslin appears to be playing a dual role in the ongoing furlough fiasco.
As we know, all of our wonderful Democratic Senators voted for Governor Paterson's budget extender on Monday, which contained language to furlough about 100,000 hard-working state employees. Then, on Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that a restraining order on this measure was an order when considering a lawsuit filed by PEF.
AS it turns out, Breslin authored a resolution condemning the furloughs around the same time he voted for them. The Times Unionreported this yesterday:
Cutting sting of furlough vote
Sen. Neil Breslin inserts poison pill cited in order delaying governor's plan
ALBANY -- Sen. Neil Breslin voted to furlough 100,000 state workers, including thousands who live in his Albany County district.
But Breslin, a Bethlehem Democrat, also got the Senate to pass a poison pill.
A resolution passed unanimously by the 62-member chamber Monday deemed the furloughs "contrary to the law and public policy of this state" and that "this legislative body believes it is not reasonable or fiscally necessary to impose furloughs on unionized state employees in violation of their existing collective bargaining agreements."
It was classic political defense for a legislator stuck between a rock and a hard place[...]
::
But will it serve as a political shield? Breslin denied politics entered into his calculations, but it seems he was working closely with PEF all along. Officials on both sides acknowledged they spoke continuously throughout the process, and when asked by Breslin was not attending a rally of over 2,000 state workers yelling at legislators about to vote for a furlough, PEF President Kenneth Brynien jumped to Breslin's defense.
"Neil said he's working right now to put together a resolution to send to the governor to stop the furloughs," said Brynien. "So, we gave him an out because he's working on our behalf. That's more important than standing in the crowd."
In addition, Breslin is facing two primary challengers who are attacking his stance on the furloughs.
Emphasis mine - SP
Below the fold, Breslin's defensive press statement and a bit of analysis...
Luke Martland Continues to Demand Full Disclosure of Unresponsive Sen. Breslin
More than a week after State Senate candidate Luke Martland called on Senator Neil D. Breslin to fully disclose the amount of money he makes and who he represents at his second job at a union-busting and financial industry lobbying law firm, the Assistant Majority Leader has failed to respond.
Undeterred, Martland yesterday brought forth the issue again, and vowed to continue doing so until he succeeds in getting Albany County voters the full disclosure we deserve. One thing Martland's press releases never fail to do is hammer the secretive Senator while tying his attacks in with recent legislative events:
"Instead of caring about New York's families that are suffering pay cuts and job losses, Breslin is more interested in hiding his pay increases and multiple side clients. If only working families were as important to him as his secret clients, maybe the state budget would get passed and the furloughs avoided."
- Luke Martland, Democratic candidate for New York State Senate, 46th District
Breslin's response to last week's inquiry from Martland was to shrug it off entirely. One supposes he was too busy authoring a resolution condemning the very furloughs he himself voted for. Perhaps the Senator considers himself so untouchable that Martland and his press releases might simply go away...
...but that clearly isn't going to happen. Luke Martland has been good about backing up his request with evidence to thwart Breslin's bogus claim that such disclosures are unnecessary. He cites a January finding by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York which came to the following conclusion:
"...all lawmakers, including attorney-legislators, should be required to disclose information about their sources of outside income, including the identity of their clients, their fees and a clear description of the services rendered."
Emphasis mine - SP
Not content to simply cite a Bar Association report, Martland follows the perennial "rule of three" to further bunker his demands. He cites last Friday's Times Unioneditorial which echoed his own opinion, saying that all Senators should "be subject to full disclosure of their sources of income and actual or potential conflicts...which they have for too long refused to do." Additionally, he reminds us of what U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe told disgraced former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno in court: "Why is anybody worried about disclosure? Disclosure gets rid of the entire problem of conflict. How can there be a conflict if you've disclosed? That's the whole function of disclosure. Let the public know...And then they can make their own judgments."
I find it refreshing to see a State Senate candidate leading by example, as Martland has already released all his tax and income information of his own volition. And I say three cheers to Luke Martland for reminding the entrenched Senator of the lessons all legislators should be taking away from the recent conviction and sentencing of Uncle Joe.
"I believe in leadership by example," Luke Martland told me the first time I met him. It's also what Luke Martland says directly to Senator Breslin in a letter dated May 6th, which was also released to the press yesterday.
Interested? The letter is quoted in full below the fold.
The ball is in Breslin's court on this one. Stay tuned to see if all he does is keep dribbling.
Announces Intent to Challenge Sen. Breslin in front of Albany County Legislature
And then there were three. Yesterday, Albany resident Tim Carney made a public comment to the members of the Albany County Legislature and citizens in attendance that he will be challenging Assistant Majority Leader Sen. Neil D. Breslin in the 46th district, which encompasses all of Albany County.
During his address, Carney summarized his listening tour of all county municipalities and proposed that school taxes transition from property-based to income-based before stating his intent to run for the seat. This received an objection from one Legislator, sustained by the Chairman only after another Legislator offered an on-the-spot endorsement.
If that's not what you were expecting, then you're in good company. This blogger was expecting something completely different, and in that sense I got exactly what was coming to me. Carney's prepared statement and a full account of the miniature legislative circus it inspired below the fold...
Tonight, the State Legislature passed the state budget extension, including a furlough for state employees one day each week. Before the vote, Democratic State Senate candidate Luke Martland made his thoughts on this perfectly clear and offered solutions to the budget crisis. The full presser:
MARTLAND OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO END FURLOUGH CRISIS
Governor and Legislature Should Begin Seven Days a Week Negotiations and Take Pay Cut Equal to Furlough
(Albany) - State Senate candidate Luke Martland today issued a list of solutions that could help solve the furlough crisis.
"The Governor's threat to furlough state workers is wrong and demonstrates the dysfunction in our state government," said Martland. "The furlough hurts hard working New Yorkers who deserve better. The effects of this furlough will be felt far beyond state workers. It will also affect every mom-and-pop business that caters to state workers and their families."
"Both the Governor and leadership of the Senate, including Assistant Majority Leader Neil Breslin, have failed these working families. Sadly, over the last two weeks while family paychecks hung in the balance, the Senate has worked only three days each week, and then taken four day weekends. Not surprisingly there is still no state budget. It's time for a new approach."
Martland proposes the following solutions to break the gridlock:
1. The Governor submit, and the legislature immediately pass, a two week extender without any furloughs or lay offs,
2. The Governor, Senate and Assembly should remain in Albany and work seven days a week until a budget is passed,
3. The Governor, all Senators and Assembly members, and all executive and legislative staff should take an immediate pay cut equal to any potential furlough,
4. If a furlough is indeed necessary to avoid fiscal ruin for the State, that sacrifice must be shared by every State worker. That means that all State workers, including all consultants and both so-called "essential" and "non-essential" employees must participate in any pay cut or furlough,
5. Any sacrifice should be imposed on a sliding scale. A worker making $25,000 and struggling to feed a family cannot afford to lose a full day's pay. Any furlough or pay cut should be imposed on a sliding scale so that lower paid workers sacrifice only a minimal amount and higher paying workers sacrifice progressively more.
"If the Governor and Legislature adopt these solutions and begin to show true leadership I believe a budget could be passed in short order," said Martland.
Emphasis mine - SP
A few words on how this bill, and Martland's statements, directly affect me below the fold...
I don't know Neil Breslin, or either of his Democratic opponents. I've never had any contact with any of them. I don't know their history, activities, or positions on issues. This comment is in no way personal.
The 46th SD has about a 2-1 Democratic advantage, so it's pretty certain that whoever emerges from the Democratic primary will be elected in November. Since it is a fairly safe Democratic seat, the only chance any voters have to cast a meaningful ballot will be in the Democratic primary.
I'm a big believer in what I was brought up to believe -- that the reason we have elections in America is so that our elected officials can be held to account for their actions from time to time. Unfortunately, most of our "elections" are a sham -- as often as not, there is only one candidate on the ballot, or at least only one candidate with any chance of winning. The result is that our elected officials are, with very few exceptions, never held to account.
As a result of this belief, I support any election where voters get a real choice.
There are those who say that by mounting a primary challenge to a Democratic incumbent those challengers are diverting funds that could be used elsewhere to defeat Republicans (or hold on to seats where Republicans are challenging Democratic incumbents). This is a shortsighted, narrow view.
It is shortsighted because in the long run healthy primary challenges only strengthen the party by getting more people involved, creating a real debate on issues, and causing the best candidates to rise to the top. What could be a better way to defeat Republicans than by having the best candidates, battle-tested, and solid on the issues?
It is narrow because it discourages participation, not only as candidates, but also as supporters -- and as voters. By discouraging participation, the Party only loses voters over time.
(Note: All of the previous five paragraphs could easily be said of Republicans as well as Democrats.)
So I applaud Messers. Martland and Carney for getting involved. I don't know who I'd prefer to see on the ballot in November, but I do know that the primary will almost certainly be good for the district, the Democratic Party, and the state of New York.
Furthermore, I'd like to see more primaries of Democratic incumbents, and not just in safe Democratic districts. In the short run, a primary in, say, the 48th SD might result in the loss of that seat to a Republican in November. But in the long run it would help build a Democratic base in that area. Similarly, a Democratic primary in the 40th or 41st SD will have a beneficial long-term effect.
Does this mean that primaries are always good in the long run? Of course not. A nasty primary, where half-truths are flung about and the vast majority of the campaigning is negative, doesn't help anyone. If party leaders had a clue how to build the party, however, they would be very quick to step in whenever a primary contest begins to devolve into such a pissing match.
And that's the key -- we need party leaders who encourage, not discourage, primaries, but also draw the line at nastiness and negativity. If party leaders encouraged challengers even to sitting Democrats under those circumstances, we'd see a stronger Democratic Party very, very soon.
