Politics on the Hudson

Our colleagues in Gannett report that Gov. David Paterson was the first person to shake hands and speak with President Barack Obama after Obama landed in Albany to give a speech at a local community college.

Over the weekend, reports had surfaced that Obama – through emissaries – had urged Paterson not to seek election. U.S. Rep. Paul
Tonko flew in on Air Force One. Other local notables, including Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings and U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, waited at the bottom of the stairs and also shook hands with Obama.

The president introduced Jill Biden, and educator and the vice president’s wife. Obama’s motorcade then slowly left, totaling 30 vehicles. Paterson’s car was ninth in the motorcade.

The president, in his first trip to upstate New York since he was elected, is expected to discuss the use of stimulus money to bolster education and create an innovation economy. The stage at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, Rensselaer County, where the president will speak has a backdrop of computer chips and other hi-tech equipment behind the podium.
The president is expected to tour a classroom and give his speech at about 11:30 a.m. He is then headed to New York City to tape an interview on David Lettermen’s “Late Show.” He will begin three days of meetings at the United Nations on Tuesday.

Assemblyman Mike Spano, D-Yonkers, and Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, say Gov. Paterson has signed “Jimmy Nolan’s Law”, which extends the time that 9/11 workers can file compensation claims for injuries suffered from participating in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup operations.

The law, according to the legislators, “allows an additional one-year period for eligible workers to pursue existing claims for injuries suffered as a result of clean up, recovery and rescue efforts related to 9-11. Under current law a worker has only 90 days to file a claim, but numerous “second wave” 9/11 victims – those who were affected by the hazardous dust and debris in the aftermath of the attacks– showed symptoms long after the 90-day time restriction.” It is named after a Yonkers carpenter and father of four who rushed to Ground Zero after the attacks and, according to the legislators, “now suffers from wood and skin allergies as well as respiratory problems. He spends $200 a month on medications for these conditions.”

With the primary election fast approaching, the Mt. Zion Christian Baptist Church has sent us an announcement for an ask-the-candidates night to be held at 6:30 p.m. next Friday, Sept. 4.

“Mount Vernon is faced with a conundrum of issues and perplexing problems. We want to have a face to face meeting with those who seek our support,” the announcement reads. The church is located at 411 South Eighth Avenue.

The “listening tours” of Organizing for America, the current incarnation of what was Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, will come to Westchester and Rockland next week. The official purpose is to “reengage and mobilize the grassroots movement in support of President Obama.” Organizers say attendees will be able to meet state staff members, discuss “lessons learned” from the election and how to organize in their communities going forward.

The Westchester stop is Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Greenburgh Town Hall. There will also be a stop next Tuesday in Rockland at 6 p.m. at the Pearl River Library.

Guest blogger Ernie Garcia writes:

Yonkers Councilman John Murtagh, R-5th District, is accusing City Council President Chuck Lesnick of holding a secret council meeting tonight at his Yonkers law offices with developers who want to remake downtown.
Murtagh said today that when he was informed of the meeting with representatives of the SFC development partnership, he assumed the meeting would be in City Hall. Yesterday he learned otherwise. “It immediately raised the appearance that things are not being done above board,” Murtagh said.
Lesnick confirmed that tonight’s meeting is to be held at his law office at 733 Yonkers Ave. Lesnick explained that the law office has two different conference rooms on two different floors in order to avoid holding an illegal City Council meeting.
Lesnick said that he and Councilwoman Patricia McDow, D-1st District, are co-chairs of the council’s Real Estate & Economic Development Committee and that they wanted to include all the council members who are favorably disposed to supporting the SFC redevelopment proposal for downtown.

“We’re at the point of final negotiations and I wanted to be inclusive to as many council members who wanted to participate,” said Lesnick, adding that he was unsure if more than three council members will attend tonight’s meeting.

A quorum would be four members, and if that many showed up Lesnick said the meeting would have to be held in different rooms.

Despite Lesnick’s spirit of inclusion, councilwomen Sanday Annabi and Joan Grownowski were not

invited to the meeting because Lesnick said they’ve already voiced their opposition to the SFC proposal.
“As soon as we have an agreement we’ll bring it to the Real Estate Committee and discuss it in an open forum,” Lesnick said.

Murtagh said that from the start tonight’s meeting should have been held by the Real Estate Committee and proper public notice given. Murtagh said tonight’s meeting reminded him of secret meetings held years back on Ridge Hill, to which he was not invited.
“It was one of the things that poisoned the air. There were meetings behind closed doors,” said Murtagh, acknowledging that even if the Real Estate Committee held tonight’s meeting, it could be closed to the public for delicate negotiations with developers.

UPDATE: Robert Freeman for the state Committee on Open Government said this afternoon that Lesnick’s stated desire to comply with state public meetings law by having council members sit in different rooms in the same building could be construed as an effort to evade them.

County Legislator Jose Alvarado, D-Yonkers, and 2nd District Council candidate Wilson Terrero were expected to officially open their joint campaign headquarters today in Yonkers, on the second floor of 435 South Broadway, above the old Park Avenue Theatre. A host of dignitaries were expected to be on hand.

Meanwhile another candidate for city council in the 2nd District, Virginia Perez, let us know she is planning an  fundraiser Tuesday evening at the Polish Community Center. The invite we were sent doesn’t specify the cost of tickets, but invites donations in amounts up to $1,000 for those who can’t attend.

No, your eyes weren’t deceiving you … that WAS Westchester County Executive Andy Spano in the third row behind home plate at last night’s Yankees-Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium.

Astute county government watchers might have also noticed his companion at left, former Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz. Schwartz eventually departed, but Spano stayed on through the end of the game to watch the home team complete a four-game sweep of their Boston rivals.

County spokeswoman Donna Greene says of his appearance (he was clearly shown on live TV behind every left-handed batter): “I was as surprised as you.”

Asked how Spano scored such hot seats, Greene promised to get back to us with the details.

(Thanks to Matt Richter of LoHudLive for the screen grab).

Update: Greene says via email: “Andy was a guest of an old friend who has nothing to do with the county.” She says Schwartz was a guest of the same old friend. We’ve tried asking who (again).

Update #2: via Greene: “The person Andy got the tickets from is Peter Derby of Irvington. (FYI he was a village councilman years ago, but is a friend of Andy.)” Derby worked in the Russian banking industry, then for the SEC, and then went on to launch his own investment fund, according to an NYU alumni profile here.

Reporter Rich Liebson writes:

WHITE PLAINS – Saying he was the true Democrat in the race for Westchester County district attorney, Tony Castro today said he’d submitted nominating petitions with more than 14,000 signatures in support of his primary challenge of incumbent Janet DiFiore.

“The rank and file recognize me as a true Democrat, not the candidate of a wealthy and powerful political machine,’’ he said at a news conference outside the county Board of Elections office. “The people know that we can win, and they want an independent prosecutor, not an imbedded politician, as the district attorney.”

Castro, who ran two close but unsuccessful campaigns for the job with the Democratic endorsement in the past, was snubbed by party leaders at their convention this year. The party endorsed DiFiore, who defeated Castro while running as a Republican in 2005.

She switched parties in 2007.

Castro also submitted petitions with 2,000 signatures to secure the Independence Party line in the November general election.

The Republican candidate is Dan Schorr. (more…)

Reporter Ernie Garcia writes:

The tit-for-tat between the Yonkers Board of Education and Yonkers Inspector General Philip Zisman continues. The debate between the board and Zisman—conducted through letters, press releases and a subpoena—involves a disagreement over whether the school district is a city-dependent entity.

Zisman has argued that the district is dependent and that he has the right to come in and examine the district’s employee health insurance plans. Board officials have said that the district is a state-created entity subject to oversight from state agencies.

Last night, apparently to reinforce its point, the Board of Education rescinded a 2000 resolution that said the Board of Education could share the services of the city’s inspector general to review its finances.

“The new fiscal regulations imposed by the New York state comptroller’s office of an external, internal and claims auditor are more than sufficient to monitor district operations in accordance with the state mandates,” said board member Debra Martinez, reading from a prepared statement before the board’s vote.

Yonkers mayoral spokesman David Simpson just put out the following update on the New York Senate situation and the city’s yet-to-be certified budget:
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Quick update on the senate stalemate as it pertains to Yonkers…

Mayor Amicone has been on the phone with the governor and the comptroller today trying to figure out a way to resolve the city’s budget situation, which is being held hostage by the power struggle in the senate. They are kicking around a few ideas that could keep the city operating if the stalemate continues. However it is not likely that there will be a resolution before the holiday weekend.

We are getting every indication that the power struggle will continue into September. That means the mayor and others are going to have to get creative to keep the city afloat. Hence the phone calls back-and-forth with the key players Albany.

Yonkers could be among the first casualties of this political war. Here’s why. Because Yonkers had state-imposed financial control boards in the 70’s & 80’s, the state comptroller acts as the city’s fiscal agent and must certify the annual budget that funds the city and school district. The comptroller refuses to certify the 2010 budget—which took effect yesterday—until all revenues are accounted for. And since we have two revenue extender bills (mortgage recording tax & income tax surcharge) that have yet to be approved by the senate, that means we don’t have a budget and therefore cannot send out tax bills. Since we cannot issue tax bills, no money is coming in. Right now the city is running on surplus money that is set to run out in a couple of weeks. Once money runs out, the city will have to shut down operations or come to an agreement with its unions to work without paychecks until the situation is resolved.

With hope there will be a more postive update after the holiday weekend. …but don’t hold your breath.