Politics on the Hudson

The state Senate today passed a bill that will increase penalties for those using credit cards to fund terrorist activities. Sponsored by state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, the new legislation makes it a more serious felony for those “soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism” where “the soliciting or providing involves the use of a credit card.”

“This piece of legislation is a preventative measure to ensure that New York state continues to maintain its commitment to discourage terror funding and acts of terror,” said Ball, who chairs the Senate’s Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee.  “New York state must continually assess what preventative measures are in place against terror and what new initiatives can be put in place to ensure our continued safety.”

The bill was sent to the Assembly.

Congresswoman Dr. Nan Hayworth is putting up cold cuts, ziti and cheesecake in declaring a Giants victory Sunday over the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The freshman Republican from Mount Kisco has joined New Hampshire Congressman Frank Guinta in a friendly wager over the big game. Should the Patriots lose, Guinta is on the hook for “lobster, maple syrup and Poutine (a French Canadian specialty consisting of French fries topped with curd cheese covered with a spicy chicken gravy).”

“This weekend’s match up will be a great game to watch for fans of both teams who enjoy a tradition of success,” said Hayworth. “I am looking forward to sampling some of New Hampshire’s traditional food after watching the New York Giants bring home a win against the New England Patriots for the second time in the Super Bowl,” Hayworth said.

If the Giant lose, Hayworth will be delivering the following to her colleague from the Granite State.

·      Assorted cold cuts platter from Mama Theresa’s Italian Specialties in New Windsor, NY

·      Baked Ziti from Dinardos in Pound Ridge, NY

·      New York cheesecake from The I-84 Diner in Fishkill, NY

Guinta, who is also in his first term in Congress, is apparently looking forward to his pasta.

” . . . I’m sure that when the Patriots whittle the Giants down to size Sunday evening, the lobster, syrup and poutine won’t be going anywhere.  And speaking as someone with a fondness for ziti, I’ll be rooting doubly hard for the Patriots to win!,” he said.

The boundaries of his 40th Senate District may be in a state of flux, but state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, essentially sent out a save the date notice yesterday, announcing he will seek a second term in the Senate. And, he will officially announce that in March.

 “By working with Governor Cuomo, in a bipartisan and effective fashion, we have accomplished many of my top goals including the MTA Payroll Tax Repeal and the Property Tax Cap. This Senate seat literally decided the balance of power in the previous election, it will certainly remain a critical seat and I’m totally focused on finishing the good things I have started to help seniors,small business owners, veterans, taxpayers and deliver for the district at large by maintaining this important seat,” Ball said in a statement. “Moving forward I will use my voice to continue to fight for real tax relief, a freeze of school taxes for seniors, a balanced budget that smartly cuts government spending and roots out waste and expand upon my important work as Chair of the Senate’s Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee.”

His (pre?) announcement may finally put an end to speculation he would take on fellow Republican Congresswoman Nan Hayworth and run for the 19th Congressional District. That’s a topic that has swirled around in recent months as Ball has criticized her actions on several occasions.

Yesterday’s declaration he will seek another Senate term also sharpens things for Democrat Justin Wagner, who announced several months ago he wanted to unseat Ball. Wagner was also waiting to see how the redrawn districts affected the race. His hometown of Cortlandt is still in the 40th.

“This partisan power grab demonstrates everything that is wrong with Albany.  When he ran for election, Greg Ball promised to support independent redistricting.  But now that’s he’s been elected, Senator Ball is turning his back on government reform.  These district lines are a partisan farce and are proof that Senator Ball is now part of the Republican Albany establishment,” Wagner said in a statement. “Whether these gerrymandered district lines end up constituting the 40th District or whether a court intervenes to stop this partisan power grab, I look forward to offering a positive alternative to the voters of the Hudson Valley and contrasting that to the failed record of Greg Ball.”

Rep. Dr. Nan Hayworth, R-Mount Kisco, urged President Obama yesterday to focus on job growth and the economy in his State of the Union address.

“Last November I hosted a jobs fair in New York’s Hudson Valley. A thousand local residents seeking work came to meet with about nearly 40 local employers offering work. At Christmas I was very happy to receive a card from a constituent thanking me. She found a job through our jobs fair. The question I have as I think about the President’s State of the Union address tonight is, ‘How can we multiply this story by 14 million? We can do it if we work together – House and Senate and President – to free up American enterprise to create jobs. Washington can’t regulate or tax us into growth. But we can work together to lift burdens and bring the federal government to the right size to serve-and not to suffocate-a strong and healthy economy. I stand ready to work with our colleagues to pursue this simple common sense,” she said in a statement.

Two of her three Democratic opponents weighed in after the speech with their thoughts.

“In the State of the Union address, President Obama outlined a blueprint for a job-creating economy built for the long term and designed to lift everyone up.  One where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, and where everyone plays by the same rules. The people of the 19th Congressional District are hanging on by their fingernails, yet when they point out the consequences of this broken system, they are turned away by leaders like Congresswoman Hayworth who find it more expedient to focus on the few. We need a representative who won’t turn away, who knows these hardships and who responds to help in times of need.  I fully support President Obama for outlining such an ambitious agenda; for putting the country back on the right track and focusing on the issues that matter – for calling for a government and a financial system that serves all of us: no bailouts, no handouts, no cop-outs. When we get back to that set of values, we’ll be getting back to an America that will grow jobs, improve education, build newer, better infrastructure and serves the needs of each and every one of us,” said Dr. Rich Becker, a Cortlandt Town Board member, in a statement.

“To be clear, when Hayworth says “lower taxes” – she’s not referring to the taxes that I pay or that the folks in my village pay. She truly believes that when we keep lowering taxes on the ultra-wealthiest Americans like Mitt Romney that it will “trickle down.”   Well folks, we’ve seen it in action, and it doesn’t work. Now let’s see what happens when we put the middle class and working families first.,” Wappingers Falls Mayor Matt Alexander said in a statement.

 

 

State Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, has $289,613.36 in his Senate campaign account, according to his latest financial disclosure form filed with state. A Ball spokeswoman highlighted his fundraising in an announcement yesterday touting his redesigned website.

In the announcement, Ball also seemed to downplay any suggestion that he plans to run for Congress this year against fellow Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth of Mount Kisco.

“Elections do matter and this state Senate seat is a perfect example, for it decided the very balance of power in New York State. This next election will be no different. I look forward to the upcoming campaign and view it as a huge opportunity to showcase a long list of positive results. Working in a bipartisan and constructive fashion, and with Governor Andrew Cuomo, we were able to eliminate the job-killing MTA payroll tax for thousands of taxpayers, slash the tax rate for the beleaguered middle class to the lowest point in 58 years, balanced the budget, did it on time and actually cut state spending and finally passed comprehensive ethics reform. Honestly, there are hundreds of other examples of great positive results and this campaign is going to be a poisitive, grassroots campaign focused completely and simply on “Gettin’ It Done!,” he said.

Ball is facing a challenge from Democrat Justin Wagner of Croton. Wagner, according to his financial filings, has $88,976.29 in campaign cash.

UPDATE—Wagner this afternoon pointed out he raised $103,181 in his first bout of campaign fundraising, which included a personal loan of $35,000—an effort, he said, that took place in the last three months of the cycle. He said he raised more than 41 of the current 62 incumbent senators during the last cycle.

“This successful effort is proof positive that voters want leaders who are focused on solutions and building community—not divisive Albany politicians like Greg Ball. This filing will allow us to build the infrastructure necessary to win in November, and I’m looking forward to sharing my vision with Hudson Valley voters about the need to create jobs and reform government in Albany,” Wagner said.

 

Tuxedo Park Mayor Tom Wilson announced his campaign for Congress today, setting his sights on the seat held by Rep. Dr. Nan Hayworth, R-Mount Kisco.

“In these tough economic times, it’s outrageous that so many in Washington are more interested in bickering and naysaying than doing what’s right. They’ve lost sight of what really matters – creating jobs and competing in the global economy. Too many D.C. insiders are more interested in special tax breaks for oil and insurance companies – while opposing a payroll tax cut for middle-class families who need it the most. It’s time to bring common sense back to Washington. That’s why I’m running for Congress.”

Wilson is the third Democrat to announce his intention to run for the 19th Congressional District, which, at the moment, includes much of northern Westchester, all of Putnam, part of Dutchess and some areas west of the Hudson. He joins Cortlandt Town Board member Dr. Richard Becker and Wappingers Falls Mayor Matt Alexander.

Redistricting, though, could change the district’s geographic boundaries.

 

Rep. Nan Hayworth,R-Mount Kisco, announced this week that federal highway funds are available to help repair federal roads and bridges damaged in New York during tropical storms Irene and Lee. The almost $90 million “will help fund emergency repairs needed to restore essential traffic, minimize the extent of damage, or protect the remaining facilities as well as permanent repairs necessary to restore the highway to its pre-disaster condition,” according to her office.

She co-chairs the House’s non-partisan Hurricane Irene Coalition, which sent a letter to higher-ups in Congress, requesting the funding.

Update—Apparently, the money is for repairs already completed or in the planning stages.

Feds reimburse NY $89.7 million for storm damage

WASHINGTON – New York is getting $89.7 million from the Federal Highway Administration to rebuild roads and bridges damaged last year by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

The money from the FHA’s Emergency Relief Program reimburses the state for projects it already has completed or has begun planning, according to Nancy Singer, a spokeswoman for the federal Transportation Department.

“Essentially the program works on a reimbursable basis,’’ Singer said. “It’s an ongoing process.’’

States can continue to be reimbursed for costs a couple of years after a natural disaster.

Besides covering the cost of rebuilding roads and bridges, the federal reimbursements can pay for road detours, debris removal and other measures taken to restore traffic flow following a disaster.

New York will get $67.3 million for the August damage caused by Hurricane Irene and $22.4 million for the September damage caused by Tropical Storm Lee.

The funding is part of $1.58 billion in grants announced Monday for 30 states and several U.S. territories and federal agencies.
—Brian Tumulty, Gannett Washington Bureau

 

 

Both Democrats trying to unseat Republican Congresswoman Dr. Nan Hayworth weighed in this week on various energy/environmental issues.

Dr. Richard Becker, a Cortlandt Town Board member, called for a moratorium on fracking, the controversial method of pulling natural gas out of rock deep beneath the surface. Becker expressed concerns about the possible health effects associated with the process, more formally known as hydraulic fracturing, and supported the call for the industry to fund a long-term study of those impacts.

His comments were among thousands received by the state.

Also this week, Matt Alexander, the mayor of Wappingers Falls, spoke about the Indian Point shutdown.

”(The) news of the reactor shut-down and pump failure at Indian Point is deeply troubling.  Sadly, this is not an unexpected development. Anyone who’s visited the site or studied its impact knows that the plant is a relic of a bygone era. We need a strategy to decommission Indian Point, and we need it now. Make no mistake – even the Nuclear Regulatory Commission agrees that (Tuesday’s) shut-down is no ‘routine” matter,” Alexander said.

Alexander said he is the only candidate in the 19th Congressional race “who has consistently called for the closing of Indian Point,” arguing that Becker, as a Town Board member, has supported keeping the nuclear plant open and Hayworth has a similar stance.

Becker sent the following out today, as the state Assembly held a hearing on IP’s future.

“Today there was a State Assembly hearing in New York City on Indian Point’s future. It coincidentally is also the third day that yet another radioactive water leak has caused a shutdown of the Indian Point 2 reactor. This is why, as I have often stated:  It is urgent that New York State and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reject the relicensing of Indian Point and shut the plant down as soon as possible. It is time to wind Indian Point down and replace it with safer energy sources. As a physician, I am acutely aware of the health danger caused by the escape of even small amounts of radioactive substances into our air and water,” Becker said in a statement.

 

Matt Alexander, one of two Democrats who wants to unseat Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth in the  19th Congressional District, is holding a fundraiser next week headlined by Rep. Barney Frank and Rep. Carolyn Maloney. Both  sit on the House Financial Services Committee with Hayworth. Frank, of course, is the namesake of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform legislation.

Hayworth, R-Mount Kisco, is also using the get-together as a chance to rally her troops, according to Capital Tonight.  She emailed her supporters with a plea for cash that begins: “Its bad enough that Congressman Frank helped drive our economy over a cliff, but now he is using his position to help my opponents raise money.”

Alexander’s campaign came back with its own response.

“Mayor Alexander is flattered that Congresswoman Hayworth is highlighting our event. He’s proud of support from any elected official who has stood up for consumer protection and working families over Wall Street greed.

“It’s no surprise that Nan Hayworth is fundraising off her job-killing Tea Party record. She has been audacious from Day One in her attempts to kill any sensible regulations of Wall Street—including Dodd-Frank—that might protect the bottom 99% of New York families. There is one candidate in this race who represents the interests of middle class and working families, and his name is Matt Alexander,”  T.J. Helmstetter, Alexander’s campaign manager for Alexander, said in a statement.

Alexander is the mayor of the village of Wappingers Falls in Dutchess County.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in this New York Times story, dismisses a question as to whether he is thinking about running for president in four years.

Whether or not that happens, it seems that state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, thinks it’s a good idea for the Democratic governor. Ball tweeted the following yesterday after the State of the State address.

4 Jan via Twitter for BlackBerry®