Under the plan, which has to be approved by the court, the state would fund 200 units of supported housing per year for five years—2011-12 through 2015-16—for a total of 1,000 units. The housing and other elements of the plan, which include educating adult-home residents about the supportive-housing option and performing clinical evaluations of their eligibility, are contingent on the Legislature’s passing budgets that include adequate funding, according to the plan.

   If the number of people eligible for supported housing exceeded the number of units available, the state would seek additional funding through the budget and assistance from the federal government.

   If state officials believe the number of individuals who want to move into supported housing is less than the number of units being provided, they would ask the court to modify the order and reduce the number of units. If the opposite were true, the state would submit a proposal to deal with the shortfall, the plan said.

   The U.S. Department of Justice requested permission to intervene in the lawsuit, which Disability Advocates Inc. filed six years ago on behalf of the adult-home residents. Adult homes are for-profit institutions that have long been criticized for their conditions and treatment of the mentally ill. The Justice Department told the court that the state’s remedy may serve as a model for other courts around the country with similar cases.

Remedial Plan

   At 9:30 a.m. Monday, the day before the special budget-cutting session called by Gov. David Paterson for the current fiscal plan, the Division of the Budget, the Senate Finance Committee, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office will hold a public “Quick Start” budget meeting at the Capitol to discuss their revenue and disbursement estimates for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 fiscal years in the areas of projected deficits, school aid, Medicaid costs, public assistance and other areas.

   After the meeting, the Division of the Budget and the Legislature have to develop a “Quick Start” budget report and make it publicly available no later than Nov. 15. The date is two months before the constitutionally mandated deadline for release of the governor’s budget proposal. The Budget Division projects there will be a $6.8 billion shortfall in 2010-11.

   The Assembly Republican Minority Conference, which released its “Quick Start” report Thursday, thinks the shortfall will be closer to $3.7 billion this year and $7.3 billion next year.

   DiNapoli’s office said in its report that the current deficit could exceed $4.1 billion, and the state faces a cumulative gap in its general fund of $27.5 billion through 2011-12, $3.6 billion more than the governor’s estimate.

   “Albany has played roulette with taxpayers’ money for too long,” DiNapoli said. “And now, in the face of the greatest fiscal challenge in our recent history, the game continues,” DiNapoli said, adding that the state has to “stop treating New Yorkers like ATMs.”

   The state’s Medicaid program will “continue wreaking havoc on state and local government finances,” according to the Republicans. The state’s share of the program will total $14 billion this year and $16.5 billion in 2010-11, the GOP report projects. In the area of school finances, state aid is expected to increase by about $453.5 million in 2010-11, reaching 22.04 billion.

The letter is the latest in a series of letters and press releases issued by city officials this year regarding Zisman and Amicone’s efforts to replace him.

Here is his letter: Mayor Letter to IG Zisman

This morning, a spokesman for the Senate majority said the conference plans to attend, and aides insisted that it was never the conference’s position not to attend, but that some members didn’t plan to go.

But Paterson, in an interview with Gannett’s Albany Bureau, was dismayed that it was even considered.

“I think even the wasted time discussing whether or not they should come to the joint session indicates how shameful the conduct of the senators continues to be,” he said. “This group, after what they did at the end of the session, I would think would be on their best behavior.”

He continued that “It is standard that in an emergency that a governor should have the right to call the Legislature into joint session to try to lay out what he thinks the course should be and then to meet and dialogue with the individual legislators and see if the governor can persuade them to respond.”

Paterson said his understanding was that some Senate Democrats didn’t like that he has dismissed their plan to raise $500 million by refinancing tobacco bonds. He said that plan wouldn’t cut the deficit long term and would only require the state to pay back the money—at a high interest rate—in the future.

“I’m against pushing off problems into the future. I’m not doing it anymore,” he said. “It’s only going to create the problems in New York state that I’ve described that other states have had.”

Paterson said Senate Democrats have offered him a proposal to close the current $3.2 billion deficit that makes no cuts to education and health-care, which Paterson said is unacceptable.

“They didn’t suggest one cut—not one dime,” Paterson said.

Travis Proulx, spokesman for Senate Democrats, said the conference has concerns with mid-year cuts to schools and health-care and are working with lawmakers and the governor’s office on alternatives.

“I don’t feel empowered by any Democratic losses. I support Democrats and I support the president,” Paterson said on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.

Paterson said his new television ads are aimed at telling his story and also to beat back the anti-incumbency movement that took place Tuesday.

“How could I be empowered? Every incumbent suffered shocking challenges in just the past couple of days. That doesn’t empower me at all,” Paterson said. “That’s why I’m trying to get my story out that I have kept New York’s finances stable in very very difficult times.”

Here’s the full clip:

“They still don’t want to, but out of respect for the governor’s office they are going to attend,” said spokesman Austin Shafran.

Shafran said the conference expects all members to attend Monday and Tuesday’s special session. Several lawmakers are in Puerto Rico for an annual conference.

But Shafran said that Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson and Senate President Malcolm Smith are due back Sunday evening.

Yesterday afternoon, several Senate Democrats said they were unaware that a boycott was afoot and that they planned to attend the speech with the other conferences in the Senate and the Assembly.

The address is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday.

Senate Democrats were facing criticism if they weren’t going to attend.

Sen. Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, said yesterday it would be disrespectful to the governor.

“They’re showing their dysfunction and quite frankly they are not being very respectful,” Libous said. “The governor is the governor and if he’s calling us back to share with us how he wants to address a very serious deficit problem, they should be there along with all the members of the Legislature.”

Updated: Shafran called back to clarify his early remarks.

“It’s not that they don’t want to attend,” he said. “They’re certainly going to attend, they just want to make sure that it’s a productive use of the time and by that I mean that they continue to negotiate on coming to an agreement on a responsible budget plan.”

The bill calls for disclosure of all defense fund-related contributions, including the name of the donor and the amount given, dating back to Jan. 1 and going forward.

“When I heard about the creation of defense funds, I thought at the time, ‘That has to be illegal, and if it isn’t, then we have to find something to do about it,’” Breslin said.

Monserrate created a defense fund that is helping to pay his legal fees after he was convicted last month of misdemeanor assault involving his girlfriend.

But Breslin was careful not to single out any one politician. Former Senate Republican Leader Joe Bruno also recently set up a defense fund as his court case continues on corruption charges.

“I would never, ever support legislation that was directed at one person,” Breslin said. “I’m remissed that I haven’t done this legislation earlier.”

Breslin did have strong words for Monserrate and Sen. Pedro Espada (D-Bronx), who each switched their political allegiances in the Republicans’ ill-fated Senate coup earlier this year. That’s not a new thing for him.

“I have already identified myself as thinking (Monserrate) should resign at the nearest possible time, and he should be joined by at least one other,” Breslin said, referring to Espada.

Breslin did, however, recognize Monserrate’s legal right to sit during next week’s special session. A Senate panel has been formed to decide Monserrate’s fate.

“I don’t think he should be welcomed, but I think he should be legally allowed in,” Breslin said. “I don’t think there will be any, you know, hugging.”

Klein estimates that the state could bring in about $400 million if it establishes a tax amnesty program, which would waive penalties if tax evaders pay up. As part of his budget-cutting plan, Gov. David Paterson has included the program but estimates it would bring in about $250 million this year and $100 million next year.

The new twist on Klein’s plan is that it would give state agencies the authority to deny a delinquent taxpayer the renewal of a professional license after being notified by the state  Department of Taxation and Finance.

His office produced a list of some people who owe six-figure sums to the state but also hold state licenses, such as liquor and real estate licenses for their businesses.

“I think there’s a real case to be made that someone would think twice before running up a huge tax bill in the state of New York if they know that their professional license is in jeopardy,” Klein said.

The first ad, titled “Some Say,” tries to make the case for how he’s made tough decisions in the state’s fiscal crisis and ends with the title “Governor Paterson, The People First.”

At the end of the 30-second spot, he says, “It might have been easier if all I thought about was running for Governor, but I think it’s more important to do what’s right for the people of New York.”

The second ad is a biographical ad, titled “When,” and discusses how he overcame the odds because of his blindness and even how he’s made mistakes at governor. It concludes with “but in the depths of an historic recession, you take what you have learned and have the strength to do what’s right for the people of New York.”

Here’s each script and each ad.

“Some Say”
“Some say I shouldn’t be running for Governor.
Some state legislators said that when I forced them to close 30 billion dollars of deficits.
Some union leaders said that when I asked their unions to make the same sacrifices that everyone else was making.
And some big corporations said that when I made them pay their fair share in taxes.
It might have been easier if all I thought about was running for Governor but I think it’s more important to do what’s right for the people of New York.”

“When”
“When this is what you see of the world, you learn to listen.
When your family moves so you can attend a mainstream school, you learn to be strong.
When you graduate high school in three years, Columbia University and Hofstra Law, you learn you can excel.
And when you become Governor, you learn you will make mistakes.
But in the depths of an historic recession, you take what you have learned and have the strength to do what’s right for the people of New York.”

And, as he’s promised, he’s put out a long list of key priorities of his administration for lawmakers to consider adopting.

He wants them to close the $3.2 billion budget gap; establish a cap on government spending, adopt a circuit breaker that would tie taxes to household incomes, and pass a same-sex marriage bill.

Other measures he put on the agenda include: enhancing penalties for operating a motor vehicle while impaired and expanding court-ordered use of ignition interlock devices; and creating the Tier V pension benefits that would lower pension benefits for new employees.

“The time to act is now, ” Paterson said.

The Empire State Pride Agenda was quick to put out with a news release praising Paterson for putting same-sex marriage on the agenda.

“”Marriage equality has been an issue Governor Paterson has long championed and we are thrilled he has called the State Senate back to Albany next Tuesday and  put the marriage equality bill on the agenda,” said the group’s executive director Alan Van Capelle. “We now expect that we will get the respectful debate and vote that we’ve been waiting for since June.”

The authority reform bill has been under discussion by Paterson and legislators for months after Paterson had expressed concerns about portions of the bill.

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, D-Greenburgh, Westchester County, said they are “very close” to have the agreement between the sides completed.

“We’ve very pleased that after seven years of struggle to reform these institutions, it looks like it’s going to happen,” said Brodsky, who has been a chief critic of the scandal-scarred public authorities.

Cuomo said Long Island attorney Lawrence Reich, who had been getting a pension of $61,596 a year, will have it stripped. Reich will have to pay back “more than $240,000 for his nearly 30 years of abusing the state’s public pension system.”

In September, DiNapoli had to restore about $500,000 in pensions to dozens of attorneys he stripped of their pension because two court rulings found that he didn’t give the lawyers due process.

One of those was Reich, who DiNapoli had to pay $92,394 in back pension benefits and proceed with providing him $5,133 a month until DiNapoli could hold a hearing to determine whether Reich and others should continue to get the pensions.

But Cuomo ended all that with Reich as part of the settlement.

Reich will pay the state $240,565.74 to end Cuomo’s investigation, forfeit his pension credits and withdraw his demand for a hearing with DiNapoli.

Reich was one of the original targets of the state investigation into private attorneys working as independent contractors for local school districts. In Reich’s case, he received nearly 30 years of “improper employment arrangements with six Long Island school districts,” Cuomo said.

“This lawyer epitomized the systemic waste and abuse in a state public pension system that routinely paid out millions in public funds to private-sector professionals who weren’t entitled to them,” Cuomo said in a statement.

“The Senate will return to Albany once they have an agreement,” said Selvena Brooks, spokeswoman for Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn.

The Assembly and the Senate Republican minority are expected to attend the speech, but Senate Democrats said they are focused on trying to find agreement on closing the state’s mid-year $3.2 billion budget gap.

Paterson is expected to call a special session Tuesday on the budget after he addresses the Legislature in the Assembly chambers at 3 p.m. Monday.

While lawmakers are required by law to attend a special session if Paterson issues a proclamation, he can’t demand that they attend the speech.

While Assembly Democrats plan to attend have issued a proclamation to do so, Senate Democrats haven’t, and it’s unclear whether they will.

Even Paterson admitted as much this morning on the John Gambling radio show.

“Up in Albany, I want to address the joint session of the Legislature to try to explain to my colleagues what this problem is on Monday, and I’m getting some pushback about even being allowed to speak before my colleagues,” he said.

“Now if this was Bosnia or in the middle of Tehran, maybe I would understand why this is happening,” he said. “But this is New York state and the United States of America, and what I want to do is to look all of my colleagues in the eye at the same time, Democrat and Republican, upstate and downstate, and of all different ethnicities, and tell them we’ve got to pull together, put aside all these other issues and be strong enough and be resolute enough to make the tough decisions.”

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, said this morning that Senate Democrats recognize the need to close the deficit and want to start that Tuesday. As for Monday’s speech, that’s another story.

“All of us understand the serious nature of our economy and the need to balance last year’s budget. I think we’re all on the same page that we have to go back and find $3 billion in last year’s budget and we plan to do that on Tuesday,” he said.

“If we were going to start the DRP (deficit reduction plan) process on Monday, I’m there,” Klein continued. “But I don’t see the reason why we have to come back and listen to a speech. The time for speeches are over. We need action.”

State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs said: “If you’re a Republican this morning, you’re feeling emboldened. If you’re a Democrat this morning, you’re a bit more cautious.”

But Jacobs warned that despite the party’s losses in the suburbs and upstate, Democrats have a year to regroup and refocus their message, particularly on curbing the state’s high property taxes.

“The lesson in all of of this is that where we have Democratic majorities, where we have the ability to deliver for voters, we have to redouble our efforts to focus on the issues, like property taxes in the suburbs,” said Jacobs, who in his home county of Nassau saw Republicans win the Legislature for the first time in a decade and County Executive Thomas Suozzi hanging on to a narrow lead.

Asked he still expects Gov. David Paterson to run for election next year, Jacobs said he does.

“I believe Governor Paterson is going to run and I believe that the Democrats can make the argument that we deserve to win, but that’s what we have to work hard at this year,” he said. “We are in a tough position and the governor has the responsibility to balance the budget and pay the bills in New York state. He doesn’t have the luxury of just complaining about cuts and other things, he actually has to do them.”

As for Republicans, state GOP chairman Ed Cox said that he thinks the races were a turning point in revitalizing the GOP in New York.

These are the kind of “wins, with encouragement from the local party and the state party, you could see people come forward and say I’m ready to run,” Cox said.

Asked if that means Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki, Cox said, “I think it would encourage not only them but other very good candidates to come out for other statewide or local races.”

Cox was also encouraged that Republicans can regroup after losing the 23rd Congressional District race and win next year.

“We will win it with a candidate who has good fiscally conservative views,” Cox said.

Despite the widespread belief before Election Day that neither would run next year, both have not said what they will do—either Giuliani running for governor or U.S. Senate against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, or Pataki against Gillibrand.

Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, Niagara County, said both of them would have consider their options after Republicans picked up seats on the local level Tuesday across New York.

“Pataki running for U.S. Senate, Rudy for governor? I think it’s an unbeatable team,” Maziariz said, adding after Tuesday’s elections “”I think it certainly makes the landscape look a whole lot greener and their chances of winning better. I think you have to take a second look at it.”

Former Rep. Guy Molinari, R-Staten Island, spent Saturday campaigning with Giuliani in Staten Island and New Jersey, but he said he doesn’t believe Giuliani has made a decision.

“He runs hot and cold on whether he wants to run again or not,” Molinari said. “I’m trying to convince him that he should run again, that the people really need somebody like him.”

Molinari said he doesn’t believe Tuesday’s results would have much of an impact on Giuliani’s decision.

“Rudy is Rudy,” he said. “Rudy is either going to run or not based on how he feels. He’s not a guy who looks at statistics and worries about the fact that maybe it doesn’t look, maybe he could win, maybe he can’t win.”

One date being eyed as a potential time for a Giuliani announcement, or at least for an indication on which way he’s leaning, is his planned speech Nov. 16 to the Molinari Republican Club on Staten Island.

As for Pataki, he has been contacted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and people across the state to run against Gillibrand, aides said. And polls have shown him ahead.

But spokesman David Catalfamo said the former governor has not made a decision. He said a decision would likely be made before year’s end.

“He’s deeply concerned about the course that our country is on and about some of the policies that are being implemented, and because of that he’s taking a serious look at it,” Catalfamo said.

   The lawmakers cite the case of Ian Pearl, a 37-year-old with muscular dystrophy, whose around-the-clock nursing care costs more than $1 million a year. Rather than drop the family’s policy, which would be illegal under state law because Pearl needed care, the insurance company canceled the entire class of insurance policies in the state, according to the senators.

   Their bill, named Ian’s Law, would require insurance companies to get permission from the state Insurance Department before canceling a class of insurance policies. It is being sponsored by Sens. Neil Breslin, D-Albany, and Eric Schneiderman, D-Manhattan.

The victories, some groups said, was indicative of a tax revolt in the suburbs.

“The ground shifted in New York State last night,” said Larchmont mayor and New Yorkers for Growth spokeswoman Liz Feld, speaking about the results in Westchester. “Democrats, Republicans, and independents in the highest taxed county in America came together to say ‘enough is enough’.   Every tax-and-spend incumbent in New York State is now on notice.”

Westchester County Executive Andy Spano was crushed by Republican candidate Robert Astorino, 58 percent to 42 percent, despite Democrats holding 2-1 margin over Republicans.

In Nassau County, Democratic Executive Thomas Suozzi it appears was barely able to win re-election, holding just a 237-vote lead, but Republicans won back control of the Legislature for the first time in a decade.

In Dutchess County, Republicans won surprise victories in  six districts, giving them a veto-proof majority.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio put out a message to Republican leaders across the state this morning that the victories bode well for the GOP heading into next year.

“Last night, the people said loudly and clearly with their ballots that enough is enough,” he said.

“I will advance this new movement in New York as we fight for a return to responsible Government. Stand proud today knowing that the people have returned to our side tonight. They are fed up with what the governments in Albany and Washington are doing.”

“The Democratic Party will not establish a litmus test for our candidates, like the one the Republicans imposed on their candidates in the 23rd,” said state Democratic committee chairman Jay Jacobs. “I’m proud to be a part of a Democratic Party that represents all of the working people of New York.”

From National Republican Campaign Committee chairman Pete Sessions: “The election in New York may provide a momentary victory for Democrats, but the results in two gubernatorial contests (In New Jersey and Virginia) tell us more about what 2010 holds in store for the party in power.

“Despite the unusual circumstances in this race, if we have learned anything from these across-the-board results it is that independent voters are dissatisfied with the direction that Democrats are taking this country and moving away from them at a rapid pace.”

From Chris Van Hollen, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman:

“This election represents a double-blow for National Republicans and their hopes of translating this summer’s ‘tea party’ energy into victories at the ballot box. Not only did eight extreme right-wing groups spend more than $1 million to drive the moderate Republican – and the NRCC’s chosen candidate – out of the race. Now, after losing a seat that was held by Republican for nearly 120 years, they have to deal with an emboldened and well-funded far right-wing that refuses to tolerate moderate Republicans with differing opinions.”

The letter is an apology from Putnam County Elections Commissioners Robert Bennett (Democrat)  and Anthony Scannapieco (Republican) to the voters for the cramped conditions at the polling place. The four-story building houses Brewster Village Hall and senior citizen apartments and is owned by state Sen. Vincent Leibell’s nonprofit housing agency, the Putnam Community Foundation.

In the letter, the commissioners state that under a verbal agreement between the Board of Elections and Leibell, a Patterson Republican, two rooms were to be available for polling places: one in the village offices  and one in the senior-citizen community room.

But, the commissioners said this week they were told the community room couldn’t be used.

“This was directly opposite to what was agreed to and understood by both Commissioners. Calls were made to Senator Leibell who stated that we could not use the community room, no chance. It is unfortunate that Senator Leibell has chosen to make this decision,” they wrote.

“I want to ask the state ethics commissioner what the proper ruling is in this area,” Paterson said, according to a transcript provided by his office. “And we’ll abide by it.”

While Paterson said he wants to ask for a ruling, his aides later clarified that the commission did in fact reach out to this office last week to inquire about the free tickets.

The commission is investigating five free tickets that the governor received to attend Game 1 of the World Series. The New York Post reported Monday that Paterson solicited the tickets, and a spokesman gave several versions on how the tickets were obtained.

Paterson said today that the four other tickets—for two staff members, his son and a son’s friend—have been paid for, and that the only issue is whether his ticket should be free. Each ticket cost $425.

The governor’s counsel, Peter Kiernan, sent a letter to the Yankees the day of the game saying Paterson would be attending on official business.

“Everybody is not on official business, only the governor is and that’s why we only sent a letter about the governor,” Paterson said. “The issue is only about me.”

Asked whether he agreed to pay for tickets only after it was reported in the Post, Paterson said “We planned to pay for the tickets all along. We only asked the question about me. Everything else had to be paid for.”

State law prohibits state officials from accepting any gift above nominal value, which the Commission on Public Integrity equates to the cost of a cup of coffee.

A commission ruling last year says that gifts are banned, however offered some exceptions, such as complimentary attendance, food and beverage at a “widely attended event” related to the attendee’s “duties and responsibilities as a public official or state employee.”

But in a footnote, the commission stated that “attendance at events at which the activities are substantially recreational in nature shall not be considered to be for a public purpose or related to a state employee’s official duties.”

To comply with state lobbying laws, Yankees spokeswoman Alice McGillion said the team requires public officials to pay face value for tickets to games. If an official claims they are there on public business, they are required to write a letter that states that.

Blair Horner, legislative director at the New York Public Interest Research Group, said it’s questionable whether Paterson was there on official business and if nothing else he should have gotten an opinion from the integrity commission before he accepted the tickets.

Horner said the Yankees are registered to lobby the state and that constitutes a clear conflict with Paterson accepting the free tickets.

“He shouldn’t have taken them,” Horner said. “He should have just paid out of his own pocket.”

Cuomo rejected state GOP chairman Ed Cox’s comments that she was in an “emotional state.”

“When I chatted with her she was very logical and sober and intelligent and reasoned,” he said on Fred Dicker’s radio show. “We had a personal conversation, but I talked to her about the situation, the circumstances. I talked to her about the Democratic candidate.”

Cuomo questioned whether the congressional race in northern New York has the national implications that many are saying.

“I think it’s going to be a close race. It’s an interesting race from New York’s point of view,” he said.
“All these national pundits who want to say, well, this is a national referendum on what President Obama has done, I think that’s a lot of baloney. This is a very particular situation, it’s a particular district, particular part of the state.”

But Cuomo said “I do think one of the factors is an anti-Albany anger that may be playing out. But I don’t believe it’s a referendum on President Obama.”

After the elections, Scozzafava’s role with her own Assembly minority conference is also in question.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said this morning that he has spoken with about a dozen of his members in recent days and “obviously they are very disappointed in Dede’s endorsement of the Democratic candidate. Every person to a tee basically said our Washington representative doesn’t need to be another pawn of Nancy Pelosi in terms of what is going on from a national policy, in terms of tax and spend.”

He said, “Dede should have just stayed out of it, and she didn’t and now we’ve got to deal with it.”

Kolb said he would be meeting with Scozzafava, the conference’s minority whip which comes with a $16,500 stipend, after the elections.

“I told Dede that when this is all over we’d sit down and have some very frank and pointed discussions,” Kolb said. “And we’ll see where those discussions take us.”

But Democrats are again pushing their reform package, saying it could thwart future offenses. And they say it would be prevent the type of ethical misconduct that former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno is alleged of. His trial started Monday.

Here’s some of the examples they used this morning from the bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Daniel Squadron, D-Brooklyn.

From their news release:

—New reporting requirements for consulting services: The indictment charges that Senator Bruno received millions in “consulting fees” from various clients.  The Squadron/Sampson package requires public officials to report annually the names of consulting clients, and include the value of compensation received and a description of the services provided. The current ethics law contains no such requirement for public officials;
—Increased transparency of public officials’ business dealings with lobbyists: requires both public officers and lobbyists to provide detailed reports of their business dealings, including retention and employment, to the relevant ethics commission, creating a real “belt and suspenders” approach to reporting that does not exist under current ethics laws;
—Increased financial disclosure: makes public categories of value (including value of outside income) and adds an additional category of value ($1,000,000 or over, up from $250,000 or over), making it much easier to ascertain if and when lawmakers are being enriched from outside employment;
—Independent investigations: creates an independent investigatory body, with subpoena power, within the legislature to fully investigate any questionable or suspicious business relationships.
—Random reviews of disclosure forms: creates a program of random reviews of annual statements of financial disclosure to ensure full and accurate reporting.

The forms are currently searchable by the lawmaker’s name and counties represented, as well as the occupation of themselves and their spouses.

Lawmakers each year after required to file out the forms, though the law is often criticized because legislators are able to delete how much they make in outside income and who they may have outside business dealings with.

They are required each May to file the reports for the prior calendar year, so the latest files are for 2008.

The New York Post reported today that Paterson sought free tickets to the Yankees home opener last week, which would violate the state’s gift ban for elected officials.

“On one hand it’s incomprehensible and the other hand it’s indefensible,” Horner said. “The Yankees are registered lobbyists. What were they (the Paterson administration) thinking?”

So will the Commission on Public Integrity investigate? They won’t say.

“An investigation is confidential until we issue a notice of reasonable cause,” said spokesman Walter Ayres. “And if we look at something, we’re required to keep that confidential.”

The embattled commission last week quietly dropped an investigation into whether Paterson improperly leaked information to the media about Caroline Kennedy after she withdrew from the U.S. Senate contest in January.

Hockley did not attend the hearing with the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee and stood by his statement despite the ruling. He called the ruling “nothing more than a frivolous complaint and the act of a desperate campaign.”

Bradley said: “There’s no challenge there, it’s just absolutely false on it’s face. And that’s all I can ask for.”

Click read more to see the full ruling:

Findings in the Complaint of
Adam Bradley against Glen Hockley,
Candidates for Mayor of White Plains

The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee met on November 2, 2009 to hear the complaint of Adam Bradley against Glen Hockley, both candidates for Mayor of White Plains. Neither Mr. Hockley nor his representative attended the hearing.

COMPLAINT: Mr. Bradley complains that, in a robo-call being sent widely to voters in White Plains, Mr. Hockley stated that Mr. Bradley “spent a considerable amount of your tax dollars to keep [Hockley] off the ballot” and that this statement misrepresents and distorts the facts.

FINDING: Unfair Campaign Practice
Documentation presented to the Committee substantiated Mr. Bradley’s claim that the allegations were false and that neither Adam Bradley nor anyone acting on his behalf played a role in Mr. Hockley’s dealings with the Board of Elections or the courts.
If a candidate or campaign wishes to quote from a Finding, the Committee requires that it be quoted in its entirety. The Committee regards selective quotation of its Findings as a violation of fair campaign practices.
Committee Members: Evelyn M.  Stock (Chair), Miriam Cohen (Coordinator), Victor Goldberg,  LaRuth Gray, Susan Pace Guma, Ruth Hinerfeld, Milton Hoffman, Lee Kinnally, Polly M. Kuhn,  Burton M. Leiser, Ernest Prince, Susan Schwarz, Lorelei A. Vargas.
Ex officio: Representatives of the Republican Party, Democratic Party, Independence Party, Conservative Party, Working Families Party.

The purpose of the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee is to promote a climate in which candidates conduct honest and fair campaigns. The Committee encourages candidates to conduct campaigns openly and fairly, to discuss issues, to refrain from dishonest and defamatory attacks, and not to use campaign materials that distort the facts.

“She made the right decision in suspending her campaign, but in her conversation with me right after that, she was in an emotional state. She was sobbing,” Cox said.

“And she made an emotional decision under a lot of pressure from the White House and the person she considered who would be the next governor of New York, in her mind, Andrew Cuomo, and Speaker Silver, who guaranteed her a job in the Assembly.”

A Silver spokesman said no offer was made.

Cox said the state GOP will be stronger because of its experience in the race. He and other Republican leaders are now backing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

“We’re dealing with a very strong and growing political force that is reacting to the Democratic policies in Washington and in Albany,” Cox said. “We as a party will harness these forces all the way into next year and that will make a very strong force in New York state politics.”

Former state Democratic chairwoman June O’Neill, who has been coordinating the Democrats campaign in the district, blasted Republicans who once backed Scozzafava for criticizing her now.

“As a resident of the 23rd congressional district, I want to thank Dede Scozzafava for her extraordinary show of courage and doing the right thing, and standing up and saying we can’t turn this congressional district over to the radical right,” she said.

O’Neill said the national conservatives’ message won’t work in the closely knit district.

“The fact that these outsiders have come into our home with their hate-mongering tactics and their obnoxious behavior and their telling us everything they are against and not what they are for, I find it personally offensive,” she said.

Several Democrats, including Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, reached out to Scozzafava yesterday encouraging her to back Owens.

Silver told the Daily News yesterday that he told Scozzafava she has ”’a lot of friends’ on the Democratic side of the aisle and pledged to ‘do whatever I could do to limit the amount of damage [the Republicans] can do to her.””

Silver spokesman Dan Weiller said there was no deal offered.

“Speaker Silver called Dede Scozzafava to encourage her to endorse Owens for the congressional seat,” Weiller said.

But Long alleged that there was more at play, citing a Politico piece that Scozzafava met yesterday afternoon with Rep. Steve Israel, D-Nassau County, who is a leader with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

“It a matter of public record that the Scozzafava family company is in financial difficulty. All her public statements about her withdraw mentioned money problems. Nancy Pelosi is desperate to win this seat,” he said. “Can it be a mere coincidence that Dede demand a face-to-face meeting, then jumps? What did Nancy Pelosi’s errand boy offer in person that they couldn’t discuss over the phone?”

“I’m doing great. Looking forward to this day,” he said in the video posted by Kyle Hughes of nysnys.com. “I’ve been looking forward for a long time to this day. I’ve done nothing wrong, and over the next several weeks that’s going to be proven.”

Jury selection was underway this morning as Bruno seeks to fight back charges that he accepted more than $3 million from people who had business before the state in exchange for his influence.

The trial, which is viewed as having a potentially wide-ranging impact on Albany politics, is expected to last as long as six weeks.

In the race in the 23rd District in northern New York, the Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman—buoyed by the decision Saturday of the Republican candidate to drop out-- has a five-point lead over Democrat Bill Owens, a Siena College poll this morning found.

Hoffman leads Owens 41 percent to 36 percent, the poll found.

After Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava left the race Saturday amid strong criticism from conservative Republicans nationwide, Hoffman and Democratic candidate Bill Owens are making a last push today before Election Day tomorrow.

Vice President Joe Biden will be campaigning with Owens today in Watertown. Scozzafava backed Owens on Sunday, amid lobbying from Democrats, though not Gov. David Paterson.

The Siena Poll found that the number of undecided voters has doubled from nine percent to 18 percent since Scozzafava left the race

”Hoffman continues to demonstrate momentum, picking up six points since Scozzafava pulled out,” said Siena spokesman Steven Greenberg. “It appears, however, that the majority of Scozzafava’s supporters have gone to neither Hoffman nor Owens, but rather into the undecided column, which has doubled since Scozzafava ended her candidacy.”

Greenberg said that Hoffman has increased his lead among Republicans, while Owens maintains his lead among Democrats and has taken the lead with independent voters. Owens kept his lead in the northeastern counties, while Hoffman extended his lead in the southern counties. The two are in a dead heat in the northwestern counties, areas that Scozzafava previously led, Greenberg said.

Former board member and Mayor Phil Amicone’s special assistant Lorraine Lopez is accused in the report of filing misleading and inaccurate reimbursement documents with the city’s Planning Department and Zisman has forwarded his findings about her actions to the city’s ethics board.

Most of Zisman’s criticisms of YALIS board members involve their shoddy record-keeping, failure to repay a city loan for years, non-payment of state workers compensation and unemployment insurance, poor oversight of cash receipts and the filing of apparently misleading reimbursement paperwork with the city.

YALIS provides immigration counseling and social service referrals out of a small office on Ludlow Street.

Representing the YALIS board, Lopez accused Zisman of mishandling the investigation and she’s calling for the city ethics board to investigate him.

“While Zisman’s investigatory report on YALIS and subsequent follow-up memoranda point out some legitimate problems at YALIS, the methods used by Zisman would be graded an F by any first-grade teacher,” wrote Lopez, criticizing Zisman for not including a final memo from YALIS in his report.

Lopez mostly faults Zisman for possibly violating civil service rules regarding YALIS board member Anthony Piacente, another city employee who with Lopez is deemed most culpable of mismanagement

“Zisman’s report and the subsequent memoranda are riddled with innuendo, inconsistencies and cover-ups of shoddy, unprofessional work,” wrote Lopez. “YALIS will be requesting that the City of Yonkers Ethics Board look into his investigation to determine if Zisman’s errors and failures were due to extremely poor judgment or unethical be design.”