Politics on the Hudson

Yonkers City Councilman John Murtagh, who is running against state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, has joined the ranks of those supporting a cap on school property taxes.

“A cap is needed to ensure property taxpayers get genuine relief, rather than getting short-changed by local school districts that spend all their state aid,” Murtagh said in a press release this afternoon. “That inevitably forces tax hikes.”

Tax cap was proposed by Tom Suozzi’s Commission on Property Tax Reform and is backed by Gov. David Paterson. Although it seems to have support among the general public, the proposal faces slim odds of being adopted before the end of the state legislative session.

While Murtagh’s release blasts Stewart-Cousins and her “fellow Democrats” for doing “nothing to address the crushing tx burden” faced by New Yorkers, it does not mention the fact that Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, a Republican, has not signaled any support for Suozzi’s proposed cap.

So which local party organization nabbed the better speaker?

Westchester Conservatives had state party chief Michael Long address its annual fundraising reception, while the county’s Republican Committee has former White House Press Secretary — and Westchester native — Ari Fleischer give the keynote address at their gala.

Tomorrow, the Westchester Democratic Commitee takes its turn with state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli offering the keynote address at its annual gala. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the VIP Club in New Rochelle

Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith is also listed as a “special guest presenter,” according to a press release from the Democratic Party.

The Westchester County board’s Committee on Internal Controls and Procedures — which was created in the wake of the Gary Kriss controversy — holds its second meeting Wednesday morning and, according to Chairman Ken Jenkins, will begin looking at how the legislature has been spending money and what it’s been spending it on.

“We are looking at the expenses and we are going to see what processes have been followed,” Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat, said.

Jenkins said the five-member committee will begin by looking at the board’s 2008 expenses, including those of Kriss, whose taxpayer-funded spending is the subject of an investigation by the Westchester District Attorney’s Office.

Serving on the committee with Jenkins are board Minority Leader George Oros, R-Cortlandt; Bill Burton, D-Ossining; Peter Harckham, D-Katonah; and Gordon Burrows, R-Yonkers.

The news breaking from the Westchester County Courthouse this hour is that former Mount Mount Police Officer George Bubaris has been acquitted on all charges in the death of Rene Javier Perez, a homeless Guatemalan immigrant found dying on a country road last year.

The jury’s verdict, reached after less than a full day of deliberations, gives District Attorney Janet DiFiore one of the most high profile defeats of her tenure.

Rep. Nita Lowey, during an appearance in White Plains this morning, said she harbors no bitterness over the outcome of the Democratic primary battle and intends to work as hard for Barack Obama as she did for Hillary Clinton.

But Lowey said the outcome does point out the need for Democrats to take a serious look at how they choose their nominees for president and the continued use of caucuses.

“I’m not an expert on the caucus system but I do believe that the primary system, where everyone has the opportunity to vote, better reflects the views of the people,” Lowey, a Harrison Democrat, said. “There are other people who think caucuses are great. I think that the working class people who can’t get to a caucus – you have to think whether you are reaching the majority of people in a state.”

And it was the caucuses, Lowey suggested, that, more than anything else, doomed Clinton’s campaign.

“Certainly, in the end, she kept winning one primary after another,” Lowey said. “And that brings to mind, frankly, the whole caucus system. I do believe that most of the people in the campaign thought she would win by Feb. 5 and they weren’t or they may not have been as focused on the caucuses.

“I think the Democrats are going to have to look at the whole process when its all over and whether they’ll turn to winner takes all like the Republicans, or have a regional primaries or refine the caucus system so that it doesn’t go on forever – state, local caucuses -there’s going to be a thnking through of the whole process.”

Lowey was in White Plains to hold a press conference with state Labor Commissioner M. Patrica Smith to call for extended unemployment benefits.

Assembyman Greg Ball, who is facing a revolt from within the Putnam GOP, can at least claim the support of rifle and pistol owners.

In a press release sent last night, Ball announced that he was named the 2008 New York State Legislator of the Year by the New York State Rifle and  Pistol Association.  A year ago, Ball was named NYSRPA’s Assemblyman of the Year.

“This is the first time in NYSRPA’s history that I can recall any legislator getting first the Aseemblyman of the Year and then receiving the Legislator of the Year Ward,” said NYSRPA President Tom King said in the release.

Gov. David Paterson’s office just issued the following statement:

“This afternoon, as Governor Paterson was traveling to New York City to attend his son’s graduation, he experienced pain in his left eye.  He went to his physician’s office at Mount Sinai Medical Center for an evaluation where he learned the pressure in his left eye had increased, causing the pain. The doctor found that the prior iriditomy that had been performed to relieve the pressure on his eye (glaucoma) had partially closed – a common occurrence in patients who have a cataract. The Governor had a short laser procedure to relieve pressure on that eye and fully reopen the channel. He left the doctor’s office to serve as the commencement speaker at his son’s graduation. After the ceremony he will return to the doctor’s office for a follow-up visit to ensure that the procedure had the desired result. ”

Patti Solis Doyle, who was once one of Hillary Clinton most trusted advisers, officially joined the Obama campaign today.

Solis Doyle, who was ousted as Clinton’s campaign manager in February, will serve as the chief of staff to Obama’s yet-to-be-chosen running mate, the campaign announced.

“Today we’re adding to our leadership team so that we reach even more Americans who share the belief that people who love their country can change it,” campaign manager David Plouffe said. “These staff members bring a wealth of organizing experience to their new role, and they’ll provide key insight and direction as we continue to build our coalition.”

Hillary Clinton has suspended her campaign for president, but she still has debts to pay.

So the campaign sent out a new e-mail today, this one attached to an online photo album of snapshots taken during the campaign. Interestingly, the album includes several shots of Hillary with her daughter, Chelsea, but none with Bill Clinton.

“Together, you and I changed America forever,” Clinton says in the e-mail. “We touched so many lives over the course of this campaign, and I can’t thank you enough for the support you showed me. I met so many wonderful people out on the trail, and I wanted to share some of those memories with you. ”

Below each picture in the albom is a red “contribute” icon.

At the close of their session today, the Westchester Board of Legislators paid its respects to Les Storch, a partner in the widely-used accounting firm of Bennett Kielson Storch & DeSantis. Storch died during the weekend after a long illness.

Storch had become a familiar presence in Westchester County budget proceedings over the years. He was praised by lawmakers from both parties for his work in helping the board review the spending plans proposed by the county executive.

“The county has lost a great friend,” said Board of Legislators Chairman Bill Ryan, a White Plains Democrat.

Storch was honored was a moment of silence by lawmakers.

“I can’t think of a finer person to deal with,” said Legislator Vito Pinto, D-Tuckahoe,