Politics on the Hudson

New York has about 3,400 infrastructure projects that communities want funded as part of the federal stimulus package, but only a portion of them will make the cut, state officials indicated Monday.

The number of projects has soared from the initial 1,900 that the state identified earlier this year as communities have found hundreds of more projects that they deem ready for construction.

“I now have list of about $18 billion worth of projects that fit into about a $4 billion pot,” said Timothy Gilchrist, the governor’s point person for the stimulus money.

The flurry of activity and uncertainty about the stimulus money comes as the state today designated $41 million for highways projects in upstate New York to be funded by the stimulus package, including two in Steuben County.

Bridges in Steuben, Onondaga, Oneida and Herkimer counties are expected to be funded because they have already been through most of the federal approval process, Gov. David Paterson said.

The state is expected to get $24.6 billion in stimulus aid, of which about $4 billion will be for highways, bridge, mass transit and energy projects.

State officials said transportation money from the federal government will be distributed through the same process that all federal transportation funds follow: through the state’s 13 regional transportation planning agencies.

Speaking to the New York Conference of Mayors this morning, Sen. Charles Schumer said the stimulus package will also include $96 million to restore funding for community-policing programs, $110 million for technology upgrades for local offices and $31 million for energy efficiency initiatives.

He also announced it includes a provision to more than double the current college tuition tax break to $2,500 per student per year.

“It’s more help from Washington in difficult times than we have ever seen in our lifetime,” Schumer said. “Other recessions haven’t been as deep … I’m optimistic this will certainly make the recession less severe.”

Officials from cities across the state said they are still sorting out how the stimulus package will affect their budgets and project lists.

The projects approved today include:—Replacement of the I-86 Bridge over Rte. 415 in the Town of Erwin, Steuben County.—Reconstruction of Delaware Avenue and Madison Avenue, Albany County.—Bridge Replacement of the Rte. 415 Bridge over Wolf Run Creek in the Town of Campbell, Steuben County.—Replacement of the Bartell Road bridge over I-81 in the Town of Cicero, Onondaga County.—Resurfacing of I-690 City of Syracuse.—Drainage Improvements in Steuben County.—Rehabilitation of the Route 169 Bridge over CSX and the Erie Canal, Herkimer County.—Resurfacing Routes 5a and 69 in Oneida County.—Bridge repairs in Oneida County.—Bridge Maintenance including cleaning in Allegany, Steuben, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison and Montgomery counties.—Culvert repairs in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties.

About 75 wineries in New York are opposing Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to let grocery stores, delis and convenience stores sell wine, saying it would not lead the stores to sell New York wines as the Paterson administration has hoped.

“Winery owners know a bad deal when they see one, and we know this plan will hurt our businesses and hurt our partners in the wine and liquor stores,” said William Ouweleen of Eagle Crest Vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region.

“Big Box stores like Walmart and Whole Foods will stock the most popular, lowest priced brands on their shelves, leaving little space for New York wines. At the same time, wine stores around the state will be forced out of business – severely curtailing our ability to reach our customers. We urge the Legislature to reject this job-killing plan.”

The wineries have joined with the Coalition for the Last Store on Main Street, which includes small business owners, independent wine sellers, and wholesalers, who are opposing Paterson’s plan.

“Wineries in New York have grown tremendously over the last 20 years, in large part to the wonderful partnership we have with wine sellers and liquor stores,” said Bill Merritt from Merritt Estate Winery in the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Region. “We need to look for ways to build on this partnership so wineries and wine sellers alike can continue to thrive, not tear down a successful system just to benefit a few Big Box stores.”

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer in a letter today are asking President Obama to direct unwanted funds from the economic recovery package to New York, if some Republican governors don’t want the money.

In the past week, Govs. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Rick Perry of Texas, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Sarah Palin of Alaska have all discussed plans to refuse economic recovery funds for their state, the senators said.

“New York receives 78 cents from the federal government for every dollar we send to Washington,” wrote the senators.  “If other states are willingly refusing federal support in this time of economic crisis, New York should benefit given our ‘donor state’ status.”

“If any governor – Democrat or Republican – leaves stimulus money on the table, then we respectfully request that funds be distributed to New York,” wrote the senators.  “We will put the money to good use, investing in education and new infrastructure, such as health care IT and high speed rail.”

The governor’s poll numbers continue to sink, but will help be on the way?

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Laureen Oliver, who helped found the state’s Independence Party and was its first chair, was honored by the party last week and unanimously named its first chairman emeritus.

“Be it resolved that Independence Party of New York recognizes Chairman Oliver’s great work on the party’s behalf,” the one-page resolution states.

The resolution comes as Oliver and close ally Tom Golisano, who founded the party in the early 1990s, are working with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to revamp the party. Golisano ran three times for governor under the party’s banner, allowing it to gain the third position on the state’s ballot.

Oliver teamed up with Golisano last year to start Responsible New York, which with Golisano’s money pumped nearly $5 million into state legislative races last year.

“I’m very happy about it,” Oliver said of the recognition. “It’s nice to know that after 15 years they recognize my role in reform with the Independence Party and Responsible New York.”

Party chairman Frank MacKay said the honor is “long overdue” and “without her and without Tom we wouldn’t be here.”

MacKay said he welcomes the involvement of Bloomberg and Golisano in their party’s future.

“I think we’re going to have a much better party with their involvement,” he said.

Robert Allen Stanford, who is accused of bilking $8 billion from investors of his Stanford Financial Group, has been good to Washington, according to Open Secrets Center for Responsive Politics.

Open Secrets found that Stanford, members of his firm and its Political Action Committee have given $2.4 million to federal candidates, parties and committees since 2000.

They found that 65 percent of donations went to Democrats including President Barack Obama ($31,750), Sen. Chuck Schumer ($17,000) and former New York Sen. Hillary Clinton ($6,900), among many others.

Republicans were also among those who accepted dough, including Sen. John McCain ($28,150), Rudy Giuliani ($4,600) and Rep. Peter King ($1,500), who has expressed interest in running against recently appointed Kirsten Gillibrand for the Senate seat.

Check out the full list here.

With millions of federal dollars available to help more New Yorkers make their homes energy efficient, U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, came to Brewster today to tell residents how to apply for the funding assistance.

While helping families weatherize their homes, the money will also create well-paying jobs throughout the state and nation, Hall said.

Hall was to be joined at 1 p.m. today by Dirk Fields of the Westchester Community Opportunity Program (WESTCOP) and Patrice Courtney of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

The meeting took place at the Putnam Headquarters of the Westchester Community Opportunity Program (WESTCOP) at 571 North Main St. in Brewster.

An earlier post indicated the meeting would take place Saturday.

Gov. David Paterson this morning on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” pitched trying to change the state’s income tax structure rather than solely increasing taxes on the wealthy.

Changing the state’s tax system has been discussed by legislative leaders in recent weeks as a potential way to raise new revenue in the face of a $14 billion deficit.  Currently, the top state personal income tax rate is 6.85 percent for anyone earning more than $40,000 a year.

Paterson again didn’t rule out a tax on the wealthy, which has been proposed by Senate Democrats, saying, “If the deficit gets much higher, that there is no issue that we should be afraid of addressing.”

But he added, “What I’d really rather do is address the whole tax structure because our highest taxable income is $40,000. People who make $40,000 get taxed at the same rate as people who make $400,000 or $4 million.”

Asked he’s proposing a progressive income tax, he responded, “I don’t want it to be something that’s so foreboding that it drives people out of the state. But I do think a lot of the voices that are saying that the tax structure we put into place some years ago is not particularly fair.”

He again addressed whether he may bring back top aide Charles O’Byrne, who resigned in October for failing to pay back taxes. He said people who admire O’Byrne have reached out to the governor about bringing him back, but that the two haven’t spoken.

“I felt that he had made a mistake, one that we could never condone and that people pay the price for their mistakes and then they should be given a second chance,” Paterson said.

“We have a  lot of people in this country who would love to have a second chance right now. It might be a good idea to start recognizing that none of us are all that perfect. But I have not spoken to Charles.”

A movement to tax the wealthy is gaining momentum in the state, and several Westchester County lawmakers say they’re on board.

At a forum last night, David Schwartz, vice chair of the Working Families Party of Westchester and Putnam counties, pitched “Fair Share Tax Reform.” It’s not quite a “millionaires tax” because it calls for higher taxes on anyone making $250,000 or more. Learn more about Fair Share Tax Reform.

Schwartz said Gov. David Paterson’s budget cuts and new fees unfairly target the poor and working class. This plan would better spread the pain, he said.

“That budget (deficit) shouldn’t be solved by cuts and services that affect low- and moderate-income people,” he said. “You can’t solve the problem by simply making budget cuts. … Everybody is going to have to bite the bullet in this economic climate. It’s sharing the sacrifice.”

Two lawmakers — state Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck and Assemblyman George Latimer, D-Rye— were at the forum and supported the concept. They said New York’s tax structure is imbalanced and needed to be corrected.

Read the full story here.

Others say the wealthy already pay their fair share — taxing them more would be bad policy. Cut the state work force, some have said. State Republicans are against the plan.

The movement is backed the Working Families Party, 1199 SEIU, NYSUT, Acorn and Citizen Action of New York and others.

After a Post editorial today called on Gov. David Paterson to bring back former aide Charles O’Byrne, Paterson told reporters in Manhattan today that it’s a “fascinating” idea.

O‘Byrne resigned in October after the Post revealed that he owed more than $300,000 in back taxes and claimed he didn’t pay because he suffered from “non-filer syndrome.”

But with the Paterson administration facing criticism for not having strong leadership, Paterson said bringing back O’Byrne is something he would consider. He said he hasn’t spoken to him about it, but said, “It’s a conversation I’d like to have with Charles.”

Paterson said, “Charles O’Byrne made a mistake, one we can’t condone. But he paid for it and he underwent a pretty severe public criticism for it.”

He added, “I think people make mistakes and they deserve a second chance.”