The National Organization for Marriage is out today with the first television ad opposing attempts to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.

The group, led by Ossining’s Maggie Gallagher, said it is spending $100,000 on the ad, which will run in the Long Island, Albany, Poughkeepsie, Watertown, and Newburgh areas. The initial ad buy is set to run May 28 through May 31.

“Marriage really matters because children need a mom and dad,” Gallagher said in a statement.  “New Yorkers do not want government redefining marriage for our children or grandchildren; we do not want public schools teaching first graders that gay marriage is okay, that’s a decision that should be left to parents and our values.”

The ad encourages New Yorkers to call their state senators to oppose the same-sex marriage bill.

“The rights of people who believe marriage means a man and a woman will no longer matter,” the 30 second ad states. “We’ll all have to accept gay marriage whether we like it or not.”

The ad comes after the Empire State Pride Agenda has produced two ads featuring families who want a gay family member to be able to marry in New York.

Updated: The Pride Agenda said the ad’s claims are untrue and has a fact sheet that seeks to bust myths about same-sex marriage.

The Pride Agenda said the ad carries “many of the same false messages that we’ve seen in anti-marriage equality campaigns across the country. One of their most deceiving claims is that children will be forced to learn about marriage in schools. This is absolutely untrue-and education officials in Albany have already stated that teaching about marriage of any kind is not mandated by any New York State curriculum. These ads are dishonest and are simply meant to scare people.”

James Castro-Blanco upset veteran Yonkers Councilman Liam McLaughlin  for the Republican nomination for City Council president at the party’s convention tonight.  Castro-Blanco picked up a resounding win, 10,643 to 6,438 under the convention’s system of weighted voting, said Republican Chairman John Jacono. Remember that’s weighted voting, only about 100 committee members actually voted, according to Jacono.

Later, McLaughlin said he would challenge Castro-Blanco for the nomination in a September primary contest. McLaughlin blamed his defeat on Mayor Phil Amicone, whom he said “was personally calling district leaders” to support Castro-Blanco.  Although Amicone had said he was not supporting either candidate, the mayor appeared at Castro-Blanco’s inital fund-raising event and spoke favorably about him.  

Also decided tonight: 

*In the 4th District, Dennis Shepherd defeated John Rubbo, Gerri Esposito and Ronald Volino. The seat is now filled by McLaughlin who canot run for a third term because of term-limits.

*In the 6th District, John Larkin defeated Anthony Merante.
The Republican nominee in the council president’s race will face Democratic incumbent Chuck Lesnick. The Democrats filled out their
ticket in late April, picking Wilson Terrero in the 2nd District, where
there is no Republican opponent; Mario DeGeorgio in the 4th; and Ted
Winnicki in the 6th. Though a Democrat, Terrero supported Amicone for mayor
two years ago.

Look for full coverage tomorrow in The Journal News and LoHud.com.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Griesa issued a preliminary injunction this afternoon that stops the state’s new bottle recycling bill from taking effect June 1, The International Bottled Water Association said.

The association last week filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the law from going into effect, saying bottlers will not have enough time to implement the law and put New York-specific bar codes on all bottles and cans.

The association said that the judge requested the state and the bottlers to provide further information for a reasonable timeframe “in which to enact a workable effective date.”

Lawmakers and Gov. David Paterson passed the bottle bill as part of the state budget last month to expand a 5-cent deposit to bottles of water. Yet bottlers complained that the law was full of problems and sought to change it, eventually taking their case to court.

Lawmakers and Paterson offered amendments to the law, but the sides have yet to reach an agreement on potential changes.

Andrew Cuomo’s bill on government consolidation hit a snag today when three senators refused to back it in a committee meeting.

Cuomo’s proposal, likely to be voted on by both houses of the Legislature next week, would make it easier for local governments and citizens to merge and abolish towns, villages, special districts and other government organizations.  Cuomo says taxpayers could save millions by cutting the number, which is now in excess of 10,000.

But Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck, said she’s worried the bill might make it too easy to put the matter on the ballot- Cuomo’s bill would require just 10 percent of voters to sign a petition – and doesn’t require a detailed plan before the vote. She also said she doubts much money would be saved.

“This could cause some serious disruptions,’’ she said.

Sen. Tom Morahan, R-New City,   voiced similar reservations.

“What are the savings? I’d like to see some numbers,’’ he said.

The two suburban lawmakers, along with Sen. Craig Johnson, D-Nassau County, voted “without recommendation’’ to pass it out of the Local Government Committee. Five other lawmakers, including committee chair Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, voted yes.

Oppenheimer said she plans to talk to Cuomo aides to try to work out their differences.

Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders agreed today to temporarily extend a key energy-subsidy program for businesses, but couldn’t come up with a consensus on how to permanently reform it.
The leaders all pledged to work to renew the Power for Jobs program that sends low-cost hydropower to businesses that pledge to maintain or expand jobs.
The program has run into trouble in recent years because as energy rates in the state have increased, demand for the low-coast power that is generated by the state Power Authority has increased.
But there is more demand for the power than there is supply, in part because some of it is also used to hold down residential power rates of the three major upstate utilities: National Grid, New York State Gas and Electric and Rochester Gas and Electric Corp.
“We all know there needs to be an extension,’’ Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, said today at a meeting of Paterson and the leaders. “We can extend it for a year, and then come up with a longer term solution.’’
Business groups have complained for years that annual extensions of the program are bad for businesses because they can’t make long-term plans. Still, a short-term extension is far preferable to letting it lapse when the current authorization expires at the end of June, said Brian Sampson, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, an organization of upstate manufacturers and other businesses.

Frustrated that state leaders are not embracing his proposal for a state spending cap, Gov. David Paterson today threatened to veto any new spending measures in this year’s budget.

“If there is any legislation this year that calls for more spending, while nobody wants to listen to me about my spending cap, I will veto it and they will not override my veto,” Paterson said on John Grambling’s radio show on WOR-AM in New York City.

Paterson also knocked legislative leaders for not going along with his call to have the members of the state Commission on Public Integrity resign after the state Inspector General’s Office found that then-Executive Director Herbert Teitelbaum leaked information to the Spitzer administration while it was under investigation.

“Not one legislative leader, nobody who appoints as well, were willing to even publicly ask their person to resign,” he said, adding that “It tells us that they were more interested in self interest than in the people’s interest.”

All this came before Paterson held his weekly public leaders meeting to discuss energy issues.

State Senate Republicans are holding the first public forum tomorrow of its Program Development Committee so the conference can develop its legislative action plan for next year.

And they are holding it in Republican Sen. Vincent Leibell’s district in Yorktown Heights. The hearing will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Mercy College, 2651 Strang Boulevard.

The committee is chaired by Sen. Betty Little and will hear testimony from businesses and taxpayers on the impact of the state Budget, the MTA bailout and other state issues, officials said in a news release.

State Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Patterson, weighed in on the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to gays serving in the military. His impetus was Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a pilot who was facing a discharge because he is gay.

STATEMENT FROM

ASSEMBLYMAN GREG BALL

ON LT. COL. VICTOR FEHRENBACH

The recent report of Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, among other less publicized
accounts, has made many realize that the current policy of “don’t ask, don’t
tell” needs to be thoroughly reviewed.

Lt. Col. Fehrenbach has flown numerous combat missions and has been
decorated for heroism.

As an Air Force Academy graduate and former ranking member of the New York
State Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee, I believe strongly that it is
time for the current administration to consider putting a moratorium on the
current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy affecting our military, until its
impacts can be thoroughly reviewed.

As a veteran and member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, I will give
serious consideration to urging my legislative colleagues to express our
shared concerns with the current policy that forces the involuntary
discharge of American heroes like Lt. Col Fehrenbach.

LOG CABIN COMMENDS ASSEMBLYMAN GREG BALL ON CALL FOR “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” REVIEW

Urges President Obama to follow-through on campaign promise of repeal.

ALBANY, NEW YORK—Log Cabin Republicans of New York today commended Republican New York State Assemblyman Greg Ball for calling for a review of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy toward gay servicemen and servicewomen.

“As an Air Force Academy graduate and former ranking member of the New York State Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee, I believe strongly that it is time for the current administration to consider putting a moratorium on the current ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy affecting our military, until its impacts can be thoroughly reviewed,” Ball said, taking a stand following the dismissal of Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach.

“We are encouraged by Assemblyman Ball’s declaration,” said Log Cabin Republicans of New York Chairman Gregory T. Angelo. “It is our hope that others in government and the military will follow the Assemblyman’s lead and call for a review of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and its discriminatory consequences.”

“With President Obama stalling on his campaign promise to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ we are pleased that another key Republican is helping to move this fight forward,” said Log Cabin Republicans National Chairman Terry Hamilton. “Log Cabin has been actively engaged for several years in a suit against the federal government to repeal this harmful legislation. Together with our members, the many military veterans in Log Cabin Republicans and allies such as Assemblyman Greg Ball, we know this is a fight we will win.”

About Log Cabin Republicans: Log Cabin Republicans is the nation’s only organization of Republicans who support fairness, freedom, and equality for gay and lesbian Americans. Log Cabin has state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time office in Washington, D.C., a federal political action committee and state political action committees.

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer will make an appearance at a Dan Schorr fundraiser Thursday in Scarsdale — tickets are $200, or $500 for anyone wanting a picture with Fleischer. Schorr is a Republican running for Westchester County District Attorney.

For more information, log onto www.electdanschorr.com

County Executive Andrew Spano and his Republican challenger Rob Astorino on taxes, Spano’s son, and the departure of Larry Schwartz in a recent edition of The Capitol.

After reading the article, here’s what Astorino said:

“Mr. Spano might want to stop criticizing taxpayers and start listening to them,” Astorino said. “Families are genuinely hurting because of local tax bills and they have a right to question where their dollars are going.  The fact that no one can figure out how Mr. Spano is spending so much money is his problem, not theirs.”