The Westchester Board of Legislators just issued the following statement concerning Chairman Bill Ryan, a White Plains Democrat.

“Legislator Bill Ryan, Chairman for the Westchester County Board of Legislators, was released from the hospital this weekend after undergoing heart bypass surgery last week. He has returned home and is said to be making a steady recovery.

“The Ryan family extends its thanks for the many expressions of comfort and well-wishing during this time. ”

  Gov. David Paterson today pledged “no more phony deadlines’’ about when Ground Zero may be rebuilt, and gave the head of the Port Authority another 90 days to come up with a workable schedule.

“It’s not possible to give any dates and timetables at this time,’’ Paterson said at a Manhattan news conference of the oft-delayed project to redevelop the former World Trade  Center site that was destroyed by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.

He said a report prepared by Port Authority Executive Director Christopher Ward found that 19 separate agencies are involved in the process, with no one organization in charge. He also said there are  “15 unanswered questions’’ that have to be addressed before the projects can move forward.

Paterson declined to assign blame for the long delay, but promised to be more open about the projects’ prospects from now on.

“In the future we will be as transparent and as honest as possible,’’ he said.

After business groups today started website to promote a property-tax cap, the Working Families Party announced its own site to promote tying taxes to income—instead of a cap.

The union-backed party launched its online tax-cap calculator to show that a circuit breaker as its called is a better solution than a cap.

“A unworkable, one size fits all cap would simply limit the amount that your property taxes could go up,” said Dan Cantor, Working Families Party executive director. “The Working Families Party plan for tax relief would give millions of homeowners an immediate tax cut the fair way, based on your family’s ability to pay.”

The calculator includes a petition calling for property tax relief through the circuit breaker model, and the party plans an advertising campaign around the calculator.

Hillary Clinton joined Barack Obama last week on the campaign trail and now Bill Clinton and Obama have spoken.

Obama’s spokesman Bill Burton said the former president and Obama spoke by telephone this afternoon. (They are seen left in 2005 after Hurricae Katrina.)

“Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with President Clinton and is honored to have his support in this campaign,” Burton said.  “He has always believed that Bill Clinton is one of this nation’s great leaders and most brilliant minds, and looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail and receiving his counsel in the months to come.”

It’s called “Dignity” and is airing in 18 battleground states and focuses on Obama’s efforts on behalf of children and families.

Here’s the script:
OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.
Announcer: He worked his way through college and Harvard Law. Turned down big money offers, and helped lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. Fought for workers’ rights.
He passed a law to move people from welfare to work, slashed the rolls by eighty percent. Passed tax cuts for workers; health care for kids.
As president, he’ll end tax breaks for companies that export jobs, reward those that create jobs in America.
And never forget the dignity that comes from work.

Westchester Republicans today announced their candidate to take on Assemblywoman Amy Paulin in the 88th Assembly District — it’s Anthony Pilla, a 39-year-old Realtor from White Plains who ran unsuccessfully for City Council a year ago.

Pilla, in a telephone interview a few moments ago, said he was undaunted by the district’s heavy Democratic registration numbers and planned to make property tax relief the focal point of his candidacy.

“If we don’t do something about it, we are just killing ourselves,” Pilla said.

The 88tht Assembly district includes the cities, towns and villages of White Plains, Eastchester, Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Scarsdale, Pelham and Pelham Manor. Paulin is a Democrat from Scarsdale.

The anti-Bush movement comes to Fairport Wednesday to knock Rep. Randy Kuhl’s voting record and his close ties to the Bush administration. Kuhl represents the 29th Congressional District, which runs from the Rochester suburbs through the Southern Tier.

The Bush Legacy Bus Tour, sponsored by unions and Moveon.org, has been making its way across the country, and 10 a.m. stop in Fairport at 220 Packetts Landing in front of Kuhl’s office is the first stop in New York.

Kuhl is considered one of the most marginal Republican incumbents in New York, and Republicans are worried that his seat, as well as two open congressional seats in western New York, could turn Democratic in November.

Republican Assembly candidate Rob Biagi made a property-tax cap the first issue of his campaign when he announced his candidacy Sunday against Democratic Assemblyman George Latimer.

Biagi, a resident of New Rochelle, said a cap is critical, indicating what will be a fight in many races this election year as lawmakers left town last week without addressing property taxes.
“We’re getting crushed by massive property tax increases that keep going up and up. We need to stop the unfunded mandates, which cause our county and towns to increase property taxes, and deliver effective tax relief to Westchester families by capping taxes,” Biagi said.

Latimer said this morning that a cap may be an answer but more discussion is needed on a remedy to the state’s high taxes. He said mandate relief is also needed.

“Legislation of that nature needs to be analyzed and vetted,” he said. “The push to do the property-tax cap alone and not looking at the circuit breaker and mandate relief seems to be as being opportunistic.”

The 91st district includes the towns and villages of Mamaroneck, Rye, Larchmont, Port Chester and Rye Brook as well as the cities of New Rochelle and Rye.

Rob Biagi, an attorney and former Assistant District Attorney, plans to formally announce his candidacy Sunday for the 91st Assembly District seat. Biagi is running as a Republican; the seat is currently held by Democrat George Latimer.

The district includes the cities, towns and villages of New Rochelle, Rye, Mamaroneck, Larchmont, Rye Brook & Port Chester.

His announcement is set for the Mobil  gas station on North Avenue by Iona College at 11:15 a.m. County GOP chairman Doug Colety and County Legislator Jim Maisano are expected to be on hand.

Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld, who is running for state Senate, has been slamming Albany pols lately. But she toned it down a bit Thursday night when Senate president-elect Dean Skelos and outgoing Senate President Joseph Bruno came to town for a fundraiser for her GOP campaign.Bill O’Reilly, who is handling press for her effort, sent along this clip:
Download:We’re told she raised over $100,000 at the event.