Politics on the Hudson

The much-awaited official announcement that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will be nominated to serve as secretary of state is expected to be made at 10:40 a.m. tomorrow at a news conference in Chicago.

President-elect Barack Obama will be joined by Vice President-elect Joe Biden to announce the next administration’s national security team.

   Gov. David Paterson vetoed two bills this week, one of which would have enacted the Omnibus Alzheimer’s Services Act of 2008. It would have set up a system similar to the “Amber Alert” system for missing children. It would help locate missing people with cognitive impairments. Other states, including Illinois, West Virginia, North Carolina and Texas have done this.

   The governor said in his veto that the goal of the bill is laudable, but it would mandate programs that are costly, and there are “better and more fic  sally responsible ways to achieve this goal.” The legislation could have led to several hundred “Silver Alert” programs in the state. Paterson suggested the state Department of Criminal Justice Services, which runs the “Amber Alert” system, could modify it to include people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.

   The other bill he vetoed would have removed the power of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to take children into protective custody, conduct investigations and visit/inspect group homes. According to the bill’s sponsors, the societies were created in the mid-1870s to protect children, but they now conflict with the authority of state and local child protective services. The state took over these responsibilities in 1973. A state Commmission of Investigation probe into the SPCCs found that agents in the societies had abused their powers.

   The governor wrote in his veto that he supports the legislation, but Erie County currently contracts with an SPCC to provide child protective services outside of county business hours. Enacting the legislation would create an emergency situation for the county, the governor said. Paterson added that he wants to work with lawmakers to correct the “fatally flawed” bill.

   Gov. David Paterson and his wife, Michelle, released a statement today about Mumbai. Here it is:

   “Michelle and I are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic deaths of those whose lives were lost in Mumbai, India due to senseless acts of terror. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims’ families, including Alan and Naomi Scherr from Virginia, who lost their lives, as well as the family of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka Holtzberg, from Brooklyn, New York.

   “The Holtzbergs moved from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to India in 2003 to lead the Nariman House, home to the Chabad Lubavitch community in Mumbai and to Jewish visitors from around the world. They were deeply committed to providing the local Jewish community and Jewish tourists with a place to gather and learn and to provide them with spiritual guidance.

   “New York State has always been a melting pot of religions and ethnicities. We are proud to serve as home to large populations of both Jewish and Indian Americans. New Yorkers were awakened to the reality of terrorism more than seven years ago. Today, as every day, we stand in solidarity with those who preach democracy and peace.

   “On behalf of the citizens of New York, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg as well as to the Indian-American community in New York, many of whom have family in Mumbai.”

   Gov. David Paterson issued a Thanksgiving Day message to the state. Here it is in its entirety (622 words):

   “On behalf of Michelle and the Paterson family, I would like to wish all New Yorkers a very happy Thanksgiving.

   “Today, even as we face a painful economic crisis, New Yorkers have much to be thankful for.

   “We are forever grateful for the heroic service of our men and women in uniform. We can never fully repay our veterans for their service, but we must do all we can to try.

   “We are deeply appreciative of the more than 200,000 state employees who keep New York running. Their dedication to this state is exemplary.

   “And we can be also thankful for the unique opportunities our nation provides all of us to improve the lives of others.

   “Yesterday (Wednesday), I visited the Equinox Thanksgiving Community DInner in Albany. Tonight (Thursday), volunteers there will provide 8,000 Thanksgiving dinners to New Yorkers who would otherwise go without. These volunteers join thousands of others who are working to make sure that every New Yorker has something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

   “As governor, it has been my privilege to support the compassionate work performed by so many of our citizens. In trying times, we are doing all we can to ensure that every New Yorker is taken care of.

   “We are working to keep New Yorkers in their homes during this terrible mortgage crisis. In August, I signed a comprehensive package of reforms to assist New Yorkers facing foreclosure. Our reforms will also help to prevent a crisis like the current one from occurring again.

   “We are working to help those who have lost their jobs in the economic downturn. I teamed with the New York Congressional delegation to push for an additional seven weeks of federal emergency unemployment benefits—an extension signed into law last week. In addition, on November 5, I joined with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut to request a $48 million National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This grant would enable us to help approximately 51,000 workers affected by the current downturn enhance their skills for future employment. (more…)

   Gov. David Paterson, who spoke after thanking volunteers prepping thousands of Thanksgiving meals in Albany this afternoon, said he doesn’t want to rush his selection of a successor to Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton, presuming she does indeed get nominated to be President-elect Barack Obama’s secretary of state. The governor said he wouldn’t want his selection to in any way force the confirmation process for Clinton.

   Paterson and first lady Michelle Paige Paterson were in Albany’s Empire State Plaza (across from the Capitol) to thank people helping prepare meals for the annual Equinox Community Dinner. There are more than 3,000 volunteers, and more than 8,000 people will receive meals. 

   Paterson, a Democrat, said his first thought was to get the selection over as quickly as possible so he could get back to working on the state’s budget crisis. But if Clinton gets nominated, she would remain in office during the confirmation process.

   “I am reconsidering whether or not I should interfere with that natural process and name a successor, which is also almost like forcing the process when perhaps I should just let it work itself out and make my selection then,” he said, adding that he may find a way to indicate his choice privately to the successor so the person could start preparing.

   There is a diverse group of talented, sensitive and hard-working people, including women, minorities and upstate residents, who could step in for Clinton, the governor said. He noted that there is no one in statewide office who is from upstate or is Hispanic, and if Hillary Clinton’s replacement isn’t a woman, New York wouldn’t have a woman in statewide office.

   “What I think that’s true about New York is we have a number of people who would be great senators, and you’re going to have to be great because filling the shoes of our senator, Hillary Clinton, should she move on, is going to be very difficult. I’m glad it’s not me, because I’m not appointing myself,” he said. (more…)

   Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco, R-Schenectady, is asking the governor (via a letter) to conduct an “open, transparent and non-partisan process” to replace U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Chappaqua Democrat who is expected to receive a nod from President-elect Barack Obama to be his secretary of state. If Clinton accepts the position, it would be up to Gov. David Paterson to pick a successor for Clinton, would also run in a 2010 special election. (Clinton was elected to a second term in 2006.)

   All kinds of names have been thrown out for who should replace Clinton, including state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo; U.S. Reps. Nita Lowey of Harrison, Nydia Velazquez of New York City, Kirsten Gillibrand of the Albany area or Brian Higgins of Buffalo; and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose father once held the seat. All are Democrats.

   “In exercising your executive prerogative, I know millions of New Yorkers would agree that the process through which Senator Clinton’s successor is appointed should adhere to the highest standards of public openness, transparency and bipartisanship,” Tedisco wrote. “It is imperative that the process provides citizens, media and elected officials alike full disclosure of the qualifications for any prospective candidate warranting your serious consideration.”

   Tedisco said the candidate for the position should be strongly committed to helping the struggling upstate economy. Tedisco said Clinton did not fulfill her campaign promise of bringing 200,000 jobs to upstate.

   “Governor, New Yorkers trust in your judgment and capacity to put the best interests of our state ahead of any political or parochial concerns,” Tedisco wrote.

Mount Vernon Mayor Clinton Young got an earful from the public recently when he pitched an $87.4 million budget that included a 13.2 percent tax increase for city residents.

This week, Young said he made a “rookie mistake” releasing a budget that he said was not a finished product. He added, “I won’t do that again.” From the get-go, Young said the budget was a working document and that he didn’t intend to have a tax increase that high.

The budget has since been revised and calls for a 5.71 percent tax increase and $86.4 million in spending. There are no planned layoffs, although funding for two vacant positions was cut. The budget was approved by the Board of Estimate and Contract Monday and now goes before the City Council. The council can further cut the budget, but can’t add to it. See the full story about the revised budget here.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, took some jabs at his Senate counterpart this morning on Talk 1300 Radio in Albany. Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, have both been criticized for not taking action last week on an emergency budget-cutting plan proposed by Gov. David Paterson.

Paterson called for a special session to vote on his $2 billion in budget reductions and he asked for input from lawmakers. Neither Silver nor Skelos presented ideas to the governor, and they decided against putting Paterson’s plan up for a vote in their chambers.

Silver said on the radio that he was willing to work with the governor and had told Paterson and others that “everything is on the table.” Silver said Skelos “effectively killed” the deal because he said he would need to see Paterson’s 2009-10 proposal before voting on this one. Silver said he thinks Skelos may want to leave everything to Democrats so his party doesn’t get blamed. The Republicans lost the majority in the Senate last month, the first time in more than 40 years, but the GOP is pushing several conservative Democrats to vote for a Republican majority leader and keep the party in power.

Skelos has expressed concern throughout the process that cuts in state funding not affect aid to schools and government and potentially create a need for property tax increases.

   Holiday shoppers aren’t the only ones being warned by financial types to keep a tight hold on their credit cards in a poor economy. In a bulletin, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is reminding anyone with state-issued plastic that there are looming budget deficits and the state is trying to clamp down on spending.

   “The state’s finances are in bad shape. And things will probably get worse before they get better,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “State agencies must carefully monitor all travel expenses, eliminate all unnecessary travel and remind employees that state-issued cards can only be used for appropriate and reasonable expenses.

   “Everyone must play by these rules. If they don’t, my office is watching expenses closely and will take appropriate steps if questionable or excessive charges are identified,” he said.

   DiNapoli said he plans to issue a series of bulletins to help state agencies review and control spending.

   These are some of his tips on appropriate use of state credit cards:

  —They are for use when an employee is on official state business and in travel status, meaning they are more than 35 miles from their official work station and their home. They can expense things like transportation, meals, tolls and unanticipated work supplies (which then become the property of New York State).

  —They cannot be used for personal charges or to purchase meals or other items on days when they are not in travel status.

   U.S. senators who represent the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are sending an SOS to the lame-duck Bush administration to help workers in the New York City metropolitan region who have lost their jobs due to the worsening economy.

   Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y, Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Christopher Dodd, D-Conn, and Joseph Lieberman, Ind.-Conn., are asking for $48 million for the three states to provide a “coordinated response to aid the hundreds fo thousands of workers already bearing the brunt of the deepening recession.” The wrote a letter to Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

   Unemployment in the tri-state region increased 1.3 percent between April and September of this year, which means 140,000 jobs were lost, according to the lawmakers. Analysts estimate the region could lose another 160,000 private-sector jobs by the end of this year.

   “It is imperative that our states have the resources to cop with this rising wave of unemployment and to help transition these individuals to new jobs,” the Senators wrote. “This grant will provide our states with the crucial resources they need to support the extraordinary number of workers in our region left jobless and at risk in the midst of this recession.”