THE "PORK" IN NEW YORK, Thoughts of an older American on Constitutional Government in the USA Options

[Livyjr]

"Legislative inaction on IDAs costs NY nonprofits, taxpayers"

By VALERIE BAUMAN, Associated Press

Last updated: 5:22 p.m., Wednesday, June 25, 2008

ALBANY -- Plans to build several nursing homes, senior citizen apartments, libraries, and some schools may be headed to the waste basket after the Legislature decided not to extend or amend a law that for years gave nonprofit groups access to low-cost industrial development agency funding.

It's another victory for organized labor, which opposed the measure unless it required nonprofit agencies to pay union-level wages, and was among several measures handled in the hectic last days of the 2008 legislative session.

Industrial development agencies (IDAs) were created by local governments to provide tax-free financing and other tax breaks to attract and retain employers.

But IDAs have been criticized for not delivering on the promised jobs and providing tax breaks to politically connected companies.

"While I am proud of what we have accomplished in such a short time, I recognize that we still have more to do," Gov. David Paterson said in a written statement about the end of the session.

"New Yorkers are voting with their feet, leaving the Empire State, and we have the responsibility in Albany to make New York more affordable and keep our residents here."

An element of the IDA law lapsed in January, meaning IDAs could no longer provide tax-subsidized financing to nonprofit agencies because they can't afford to pay union-level wages.

Nonprofits rely on government funding and private donations.

"The bill expired, so unless it's renewed you can say it's a permanent change," said AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes.

"But I'm sure they'll be looking at this again next session."

"It was a bad piece of legislation."

"It was a failed economic tool that resulted in destabilization of wage rates in upstate New York."

Brian McMahon, executive director of the New York State Economic Development Council, said the only options nonprofits have now is to keep projects on hold until the Legislature decides to act or pursue private financing at a much higher rate.

"The unions are the fourth branch of government in New York State," McMahon said.

"They have enormous power, enormous resources."

"And in an election year their influence seems to grow even greater."

Lawmakers did manage agreement on measures as the session wound down:

-- The Marine Transfer Station on Manhattan's Gansevoort Peninsula will be reactivated.

This key component of the city's solid waste management plan will allow shipping Manhattan's recyclables to processing facilities by barge instead of by truck, cutting 30,000 truck miles per year from city streets.

-- Victims of various forms of domestic violence don't have to be married to their abuser to seek protection through New York Family Courts.

The bill will allow victims to obtain a civil order of protection instead of having to go through the often more intimidating criminal justice system.

-- Workers for companies that self-insure and then default will be able to retain worker's comp benefits.

The new bill will require regular, independent reviews of trust finances, increased penalties for misconduct, and new procedures to ensure that underfunded trusts are fully funded.

-- Lawmakers agreed to pass a series of reforms to protect children and adults in residential care.

The changes will more clearly define what abuse is, give parents and guardians more time to seek records on the care of a family member and prohibit withholding food or drink as a method of discipline.

-- More children will be able to receive care at home instead of being placed in an institution, despite not qualifying for the current financial standards.

A Medicaid waiver will be available for more children with physical disabilities who require the level of care normally found in nursing facilities or hospitals.

-- In response to high profile violent crimes committed by people with mental illness, lawmakers agreed to pass a bill that would create multi-agency mental health "incident review panels" to investigate violent incidents.

The idea is to deliver better mental health care and eliminate safety risks from those who fall through the cracks during the treatment process.

------

On the Net:

http://www.state.ny.us

http://www.nysaflcio.org

http://www.nysedc.org

http://www.nyahsa.org

[Livyjr]

"Former NY commissioner will no longer use alias"

Associated Press

Last updated: 3:43 p.m., Wednesday, June 25, 2008

ALBANY -- A retired state tax commissioner collecting part-time pay from her South Carolina home in addition to her pension will no longer work under an alias, agency officials said Wednesday.

Barbara Billet, who telecommutes from her home in Beaufort, S.C., is listed in a state Department of Taxation and Finance e-mail directory as "Barbara Clarkstone."

Though she is retired on an annual pension of $49,349, she is listed in the directory for her $30,000-a-year part-time job.

Tax department spokesman Tom Bergin said the assumed name was used to avoid confusion among employees who might notice the names of both Billet and her successor as commissioner.

He said employees might have been inhibited in dealing with her on work issues.

But Bergin said they would change the directory listing, which was first reported by the Times Union of Albany.

"In retrospect, it wasn't a good idea," Bergin said.

"We should have been more forthcoming."

Billet, 58, is listed under her own name on the state payroll, he said.

The Times Union said the "Clarkstone" is apparently drawn from a combination of Billet's grandmothers' maiden names.

Billet told the newspaper that she was not trying to hide anything, but wanted to avoid undermining the agency's new commissioner.

Billet was acting tax commissioner for 14 months before retiring from the $155,000-a-year position in January.

She now works about 15 hours a week on a project called the "Clear Language Initiative," which measures the financial benefits of translating technical tax codes into everyday English.

Billet is the only tax department employee allowed to telecommute entirely from home.

Bergin said the work arrangement is under review.

[Livyjr]

"AMD chief pays a visit to Capitol - Hector Ruiz meets with Paterson, Bruno and Silver, says plans for computer chip factory are unchanged"

By LARRY RULISON, Business writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

ALBANY -- Hector Ruiz, chief executive of Advanced Micro Devices Inc., made a surprise visit to the Capitol on Tuesday to meet with Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders about the company's planned $3.2 billion computer chip factory in Malta.

Ruiz denied he was in Albany to seek more state assistance for the plant, which already is due to receive $1.2 billion from New York.

"No, no, no," Ruiz said when asked if he was here to get more funding.

"I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the new governor."

"So I look forward to it."

Ruiz's visit might have stayed a secret had state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno not revealed it during a news conference Tuesday morning on his pending retirement from the Legislature.

AMD's plant would be located on the Luther Forest Technology Campus, in Bruno's district.

The visit was Ruiz's first public appearance in the region since he and Gov. George Pataki first announced the proposed chip plant in June 2006.

Bruno has been saying for months that Ruiz was expected to make a visit.

The trip sparked speculation that Ruiz might have an announcement regarding the plant, known as Fab 4X.

AMD, which lost almost $3.4 billion last year, has yet to officially commit to building the facility, and local political and business leaders have been anxiously waiting for a decision from Ruiz.

The world's No. 2 microprocessor manufacturer, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., has until July 31, 2009, to move forward with the project and still be eligible for state incentives, which include $650 million in cash, tax breaks and infrastructure improvements.

Ruiz, accompanied by Ward Tisdale, AMD's director of global community affairs, arrived at the Capitol at about 1:45 p.m. and met first with Bruno and Paterson, and then with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver until about 3:15 p.m.

AMD spokesman Travis Bullard said Ruiz was scheduled to fly to Washington, D.C., afterward.

Between meetings, Ruiz reiterated that he was not asking for more money, and said there are currently no changes planned for Fab 4X.

"I had the opportunity to meet with the governor -- this is something that I wanted to do," Ruiz said.

"Our project has gone through three governors."

"I wanted to thank the senator (Bruno) for his leadership."

Ruiz said Paterson "sounded very excited" about the project, and he called the governor a "straight-shooter."

Kris Thompson, a spokesman for Bruno, also said Ruiz's visit was straightforward, with no developments to report.

"Nothing new was addressed at the short meeting that the senator and Hector had," Thompson said.

"It was a very friendly and cordial visit, and everything went fine."

"Again, we're on target."

Larry Rulison can be reached at 454-5504 or by e-mail at lrulison@timesunion.com. Capitol bureau reporter James Odato contributed to this story.

[Livyjr]

"Tax agency home worker used a false name - Department says ruse allowed retired commissioner to return without undermining new chief"

By BRENDAN J. LYONS, Senior writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

ALBANY -- A former state tax commissioner who was rehired to a part-time tax attorney's job has been working from her home out of state under an assumed name so that she would not draw attention, the Times Union has learned.

Barbara G. Billet, 58, who is telecommuting from her retirement home near Hilton Head, S.C., is listed in a state Department of Taxation and Finance directory as "Barbara Clarkstone."

The name "Clarkstone" is apparently drawn from a combination of Billet's grandmothers' maiden names.

Billet said she did not create the assumed name to hide her employment status.

Rather, she said in a telephone interview Tuesday, it was intended as a way to allow her to return to a senior attorney's post without undermining the agency's new commissioner, Robert L. Megna.

"I wanted Bob to be able to take over the leadership of the department unimpeded by my presence," Billet said.

"It was HR's (human resources) suggestion that I create an e-mail account that didn't have my name prominently displayed."

Billet is the only employee of the 4,700-member agency who is allowed to telecommute entirely from home.

She also is the only person who works under an assumed name, an agency spokesman said.

In an internal employee network, the business address for "Barbara G. Clarkstone" is listed as the agency's executive offices at the state office campus in Albany.

The unprecedented job arrangement, which was first reported by the Times Union on Monday, has drawn criticism from state Public Employees Federation officials who questioned whether Billet's $30,000-a-year job was politically arranged to quietly keep her on the state payroll while she also collects a pension.

Billet retired as commissioner in January and flatly denies that politics played a role in her rehiring, which took effect March 6.

"If I thought there was anything wrong with this arrangement, I never would have done it," she said.

"I thought it was straight up the middle."

Thomas Bergin, an agency spokesman, confirmed the agency had signed off on Billet's use of a made-up name.

"The department believed that this would be a way to avoid having the outgoing commissioner, who was staying on the payroll in a lower-level, part-time role, impair the authority of the incoming commissioner," Bergin said.

"We wanted to avoid any confusion over department protocol and allow Barbara the freedom to work unimpeded."

Billet has worked in various state jobs for more than 20 years.

She headed the state tax department as acting commissioner for 14 months before retiring from the $155,000-a-year position, a politically appointed job.

Billet uses a state-owned laptop computer and works about 15 hours a week from her home in Beaufort, S.C.

She works on a program she helped create -- the Clear Language Initiative -- that seeks to save the state money by translating complex tax codes into simple language.

She is considered a valuable worker and must conform to strict telecommuting rules, including submitting time slips, Bergin said.

Billet's salary, under civil service rules, is capped at $30,000 a year.

She would need a waiver to exceed that amount.

She also collects an annual state pension of $49,349, records show.

The part-time attorney's job was not posted so others could apply for it, Bergin said.

Billet was formerly an attorney with the Albany firm O'Connell & Aronowitz.

She left the firm in 1995 after being appointed deputy solicitor general by then-Attorney General Dennis Vacco.

She went on to become solicitor general before former Gov. George Pataki appointed her to head the Moreland Act commission, which investigated New York City schools.

Pataki appointed Billet as acting tax commissioner in November 2006, after she had been with the agency for six years.

Billet is a full-time resident of South Carolina and surrendered her New York driver's license earlier this month, records show.

PEF officials filed a complaint with the state inspector general on April 12 requesting that the situation be investigated as a potential "no-show" job.

The inspector general's office referred the matter to the deputy inspector general for the tax department, which determined there was nothing wrong with the arrangement, Bergin said.

"I thought maybe I can still make a contribution."

"It's a limited basis," Billet said.

"It takes me back to being a young lawyer ... doing the hands-on work."

Brendan J. Lyons can be reached at 454-5547 or by e-mail at blyons@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

"GOP confident in Skelos' ability - Upstate senators see new leader as being able to keep Republican control of chamber"

By RICK KARLIN, Capitol bureau, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

ALBANY -- To those outside Nassau County, newly minted Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos has been known as a champion of everything Long Island.

His annual push to bring more state aid to his region's school districts is legendary and well publicized, and he doesn't hesitate to take on those he sees as working against his constituents' interests.

Earlier this year, Skelos and the rest of Long Island's Senate delegation called for the ouster of Education Commissioner Richard Mills for what they said was Mills' slow response to pension abuses by retiring superintendents.

Last week, he offered legislation that would freeze real estate tax assessments, which can cause one's school taxes to rise steeply -- a major issue in Long Island and other suburbs.

With that reputation, Skelos' main challenge as Joseph Bruno's successor may be convincing fellow senators from upstate that he's looking after their interests, too.

After all, 20 of the Senate's 32 Republicans hail from areas north of New York City and Long Island.

So far, he seems to have their trust, largely due to his steady hand as Bruno's deputy.

While he may not have Bruno's flair and back-slapping ease, lawmakers and others note that his straightforward style of addressing the issues has long been appreciated.

His style, one Senate staffer said, is simple: delegate tasks to senators who are on the relevant committees, give them the help they need and hold them accountable for results.

As a result, Skelos has earned the confidence of Republicans who in November will fight to keep their 32-30 majority in an increasingly Democratic state.

"We're in a very tough situation and I think he's the guy who can really bring us home," said Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna.

He'll probably want to carry on Bruno's legacy in at least two ways, said one longtime lobbyist.

Bruno avoided being drawn into battles with groups like abortion-rights or gay-rights advocates who have historically clashed with Republicans.

He also cultivated close ties with organized labor, which has provided both get-out-the-vote support and campaign dollars.

Keeping the money spigot flowing may be one of Skelos' first tasks as leader.

"The challenge is going to be to raise the bucks to get the message across," said Republican State Chairman Joseph Mondello, a longtime friend of Skelos.

Rick Karlin can be reached at 454-5758 or by e-mail at rkarlin@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

"Colonie tax bid dies in Senate - Lawmakers adjourn without vote on midyear levy intended to cut deficit"

By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

ALBANY -- Colonie's bid to levy a midyear tax to cut its multimillion-dollar deficit appeared to have died in the state Senate on Tuesday night when lawmakers there adjourned without voting on it.

The deficit-correction tax needed the Legislature's blessing because town officials hoped to collect it before January, when regular property tax bills go out.

Now, Colonie may have no choice but to wait until then.

"We've been told we can do this in January without (state) legislation."

"And that's where we would be headed at this point, unless the Senate comes back into session and something changes," Supervisor Paula Mahan said.

"These things happen, and we knew that this was always a possibility."

It wasn't immediately clear why the measure stalled.

Mahan, a Democrat who took office in January, proposed the tax in April as the quickest, fairest way to raise several million dollars to improve the town's cash flow and credit rating and stabilize its finances.

In February, the state comptroller's office put the town's deficit as high as $18 million, following an assessment last year that faulted several years of unbalanced budgets.

With the town's credit rating in danger of falling, and with millions in short-term debt scheduled to come due in October, Mahan lobbied for the tax to avoid sustained tax hikes.

The tax would have raised just shy of $7 million.

But Republicans in town opposed the proposal and the bill's fate in the GOP-led Senate was never certain.

Tuesday, town officials held out hope the Senate would follow the Democrat-led Assembly, which had passed it a week earlier with bipartisan support, where even Minority Leader James Tedisco, of Schenectady, voted for it.

It was not clear whether the bill could be passed if the Senate returns to session later this summer.

"I try not to get too frustrated because that's not going to help anyone," Mahan said.

[Livyjr]

"NY consumer laws not trumped by federal statute"

By MICHAEL VIRTANEN, Associated Press

Last updated: 5:06 p.m., Thursday, June 26, 2008

ALBANY -- The state's highest court ruled Thursday that the federal Truth-in-Lending Act doesn't pre-empt New York consumer protection laws, upholding a suit brought by then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer claiming deceptive practices by a nationwide bank and its debt collector.

The Court of Appeals, in a 5-1 ruling, said federal law prevents states from requiring additional disclosures from credit card issuers.

But the judges said New York's laws against fraud and deception simply prohibit misinformation.

"New York's Executive Law and Consumer Practice Act, collectively, do not require respondents to disclose anything," Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick wrote for the majority.

"These statutes simply require that they refrain from fraud, deception, and false advertising when communicating with New York consumers."

Chief Judge Judith Kaye and judges Victoria Graffeo, Eugene Pigott Jr. and Theodore Jones Jr. agreed.

They noted that since 1997, Cross Country Bank and debt collector Applied Card Systems solicited consumers in the subprime market to apply for credit cards they would not qualify for under traditional underwriting guidelines.

Spitzer argued customers were deceived into applying for cards with credit lines up to $2,500, while most actually received far less credit, and card fees were immediately billed against them.

The judges agreed some claims against the Delaware-based bank were settled in a 2002 California class-action suit.

But the court let stand restitution for others -- nearly $8 million in civil penalties -- and an order against future fraud in the state that had been issued by lower New York courts.

In a dissent, Judge Susan Read said the federal law does bar the attorney general's attempt to impose disclosure requirements under "the guise" of the lawsuit, saying the only way for the bank to comply is to revise both the form and content of its credit card solicitations.

"The majority's desire to maximize our state's regulatory reach in the area of consumer protection is unsurprising," Read wrote.

"But state pride and good intentions are not enough to justify this lawsuit."

Cross Country, now called Applied Card Bank, said it was pleased the court rejected an attempt to undo the California class-action case, but was disappointed by the pre-emption ruling.

"It is an important victory since the attorney general, as well as 30 other state attorneys general, asked the court to give them the right to disregard class-action settlements," said the bank's attorney, H. Peter Haveles Jr.

"In light of Judge Read's dissent, the bank is giving careful consideration as to whether it should ask the (U.S.) Supreme Court to review the Court of Appeals pre-emption decision."

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo continued the case started by Spitzer.

"The court's recognition of the state's right to go after credit card companies that deceive customers is a clear victory for New York consumers," Cuomo spokesman John Milgrim said.

[Livyjr]

"Good government groups knock NY lawmakers"

By VALERIE BAUMAN, Associated Press

Last updated: 4:44 p.m., Thursday, June 26, 2008

ALBANY -- While New York lawmakers are virtually high-fiving each other for what they called groundbreaking political progress, good government groups are unimpressed with the 2008 legislative session.

"After promising to change the way Albany operated, the governor allowed the process in Albany to return to it's bad old roots: secrecy and insider negotiations," said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

The biggest objection from observers was the traditional "three men in a room" dealings and a lack of transparency.

Much of Paterson's major legislation wasn't adopted, including an extensive plan for campaign finance reform introduced earlier this month on the same day good government groups held a press conference chastising lawmakers for a lack of action on the issue.

Paterson ran as former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's lieutenant governor on the promise of changing state government's bad reputation.

Then Spitzer was linked to a high-priced prostitution ring and resigned, leaving Albany reeling.

Now groups like NYPIRG and the Women's League of Voters are objecting to the status quo that continued to grip Albany under Paterson's leadership.

"We are somewhat sympathetic of our governor, who had to take over and finish our budget in two weeks, but the budget was done behind closed doors," said the league's Barbara Bartoletti.

"We thought things would get better, but they didn't -- they got worse."

Paterson, however, rejected the criticism.

"In only three months the governor was able to achieve enactment of 26 of his priority bills ..."

"This was, by any measure, a historically productive legislative session," Paterson spokeswoman Risa Heller said.

"We look forward to working with the legislature, the advocates and other interested parties in the coming months on a variety of issues including campaign finance reform and the property tax cap."

Newly minted Senate majority Leader Dean Skelos and Paterson have described the session as productive.

Skelos stopped short of calling it a success, saying crushing property taxes in New York still haven't been dealt with.

Officials in Skelos' office declined to comment on the criticism of good government groups.

"Considering all of the tumult New Yorkers endured in the first half of this year, the 2008 Legislative session was remarkably successful, though our work is not done," Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in a written statement.

"In a time of economic challenges and political distress, Governor David Paterson worked with the Legislature to achieve a balanced and on-time budget."

He also cited successful measures on gun control, to prevent foreclosures, save New York City Off-track Betting jobs, end mandatory overtime for nurses, and reform the state's brownfields program.

But good government groups were horrified when a bill that would have protected children from lead poisoning failed at the last minute.

It would have mandated preventive measures by the state Department of Health and offered state tax credits to landlords who update their properties.

It's an issue that could gain more traction next year, but "meanwhile, children very well may die," Bartoletti said.

The groups did praise a few developments as positive -- tougher state oversight of doctors, the reforms in the way New York gives tax breaks for cleaning up brownfields and net metering of electricity.

NYPIRG praised Paterson and the Legislature for coping with the abrupt departure of Spitzer and managing to pass a budget a little more than a week late.

They also hailed the bills that brought relief to home owners facing foreclosure and protections against identity theft.

Overall, though, special interests got their way in this election year instead of the voters, Bartoletti said.

Some of the biggest winners were the unions.

One bill that passed both chambers would give the public employee unions the ability to veto any attempt to change retiree health benefits -- even if a government employer found a way to offer the same benefits for less money.

It would create a one-year moratorium that would prevent state and local governments from changing benefits, but many think it's likely to become permanent.

"For the state as a whole, and for the state's economy, this is a bad thing," said E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for New York State Policy, part of the fiscally conservative Manhattan Institute.

"It simply adds to the very high cost of government in New York and is one of the things that is going to perpetuate our heavy tax burden."

Unions argue the moratorium is necessary while a 12-person task force -- which will include several union members -- evaluates health plan options.

"What was passed was a two-year study about how to best fund health plans," AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes said.

He said the moratorium will allow time to review the health care benefits before there are any changes.

The bill has been sent to Paterson, who hasn't made a decision on it yet.

Whatever he decides, the good government groups will be watching.

"We certainly would encourage more openness as we go forward," Bartoletti said.

"Especially in these times when things economically are changing rapidly."

"People should be able to feel that the government is working for them, not the special interests."

------

On the Net:

http://www.nypirg.org

http://www.lwvny.org

http://www.aflcio.org

http://www.empirecenter.org

[Livyjr]

"Analysis: NY governor's first 100 days of tumult, trials"

By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press

Last updated: 10:52 a.m., Thursday, June 26, 2008

ALBANY -- It was supposed to be a joke, but there was truth lurking beneath the schtick.

Gov. David Paterson was laying out his agenda with legislative leaders at a news conference this month when he was asked if there was any progress on a bill requiring insurance coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Paterson, subtle as a Warner Brothers cartoon, covered his face with his hands and flopped his head onto the podium in surrender: "Yes."

"I have it."

The gag went over well.

The Democrat's feigned frustration at the slow grind of the Albany process was an apt reaction to his first 100 long, frustrating and unpredictable days that started with the unfathomable self-destruction of Eliot Spitzer.

"It was a supreme test of my endurance and ability and obviously patience and self-confidence," Paterson told The Associated Press.

"After this, I figure I'm about ready for anything."

The accidental governor, they call him.

Paterson, legally blind since infancy, grew up in Harlem and then on Long Island steeped in New York City politics.

His father, Basil, is a former secretary of state.

The son said he never thought about becoming governor, making him perhaps the only one in New York's Capitol to feel that way.

Even as lieutenant governor, the former state Senate minority leader wasn't included by pundits or in polls as a potential governor.

There was no room among the Andrew Cuomos, Rudy Giulianis and Michael Bloombergs to think of a Gov. Paterson.

Not even he thought so.

"I didn't realize how much I didn't take it seriously until the day it happened," he said.

"I was profoundly shocked."

That day was March 17, shortly after Spitzer was named in a federal prostitution investigation and resigned.

"The first week I was governor, I remember we were getting ready to make a decision," Paterson said.

"I heard on the radio a decision was coming down and the governor would rule on it."

"It took me 10 seconds to realize they were talking about me."

He knew, intellectually, that he was governor.

Becoming governor came a couple weeks later.

"The moment came for me in the budget negotiations when I realized that we were going to have to make a lot of cuts and they were going to have to be across the board and I didn't get that anyone else knew or appreciated it," Paterson said.

"That's when I felt like the governor because I felt a personal obligation to the voters.

"I realized, 'If I don't do something, it's not going to get done,'" Paterson said.

For a governor who didn't take office until just two weeks before the budget was due and already halfway through the legislative session, he has a list of action to back up what his office calls a "historically productive" session that ended last week.

He says 26 of the bills he made a priority passed.

They include: Reform of the "brownfields" law intended to clean up polluted sites for reuse but which was known mostly for waste and political scandal; a measure to better protect homeowners in default as part of the national subprime mortgage crisis; a deal to save New York City Off-Track Betting Corp. and preserve 1,500 jobs; and a law that ends a costly and time-consuming process to get rid of teachers convicted of having sex with students.

Few, however, say the bills are earthshaking for Albany, a place in need of a thorough shaking.

But Paterson can also take credit for less tangible success.

He used his sharp sense of humor and conciliatory approach to salve a fractured New York state government.

In 2007, hard-edged Spitzer was quickly mired in political conflict, then political scandal, then the prostitution investigation.

New York's first legally blind, black governor faced a bigger obstacle than most.

Spitzer's fall came in the middle of negotiating a $121 billion budget riddled with looming deficits.

He chose to begin his administration admitting to past marital affairs and drug use as a youth so the actions couldn't be used to compromise his agenda.

He also had emergency eye surgeries brought on by the stress of reading reams of documents, nose to paper, required to do the job.

"The institutional challenge that Gov. Paterson assumed was probably tougher than any governor in modern history," said Robert B. Ward of the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

"When I came in, I thought I could take advantage of the crisis in management because everybody basically wanted to help me," Paterson said, comparing it to support for the president after Sept. 11.

"This was the problem other governors have had in that they would come in and throw down a bill," Paterson said.

"Either you win it or you don't ... the only problem is, government isn't set up that way."

"That's how you play football."

"That's not how I see it and, I argue, that's not how the framers of the constitution saw it," Paterson said.

Instead, he worked with lawmakers, making unheard of visits to their working sessions and, on the last day of session, going to legislators in the Senate and Assembly to thank them.

"Have they accomplished an awful lot?"

"No," said Maurice "Mickey" Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"But is the tone just an awful lot better?"

"Yes."

"That's really important."

"The idea of politics as scorched earth is nothing I really approved of."

So far, Paterson's charisma and character got him through his first legislative session as governor admirably, noted Lee Miringoff of the Marist College poll.

"But he's got to set his direction," he said.

"The likeability is nice, but he's got to be governor, or else."

"Because the vacuum will fill and the other people sitting around that triangular table aren't shy."

------

Michael Gormley is the Albany, N.Y., Capitol editor for The Associated Press. He can be reached by e-mail at mgormley(at)ap.org.

[Livyjr]

"Changes sought in union construction rules - Requirements in new Wicks Law would hurt upstate, nonunion firms, business and building groups say"

By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Business writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Thursday, June 26, 2008

ALBANY -- For decades, business groups pushed for overhaul of a state law that they said inflates the cost of public construction projects.

In April, they got it.

Now, proving that you really should be careful what you wish for, business and construction groups are demanding that the changes be changed.

They claim that changes made by lawmakers to the Wicks Law will hammer the upstate economy and small, nonunion contractors.

"At a time when everyone is focused on the high cost of government, it is amazing that the state would add another burdensome set of requirements," said Kenneth Adams, president of The Business Council of New York State Inc., the state's largest business lobby.

The long-controversial Wicks Law required cities and towns to bid out construction projects of more than $50,000 to four separate contractors.

Business groups and municipal officials said having four contractors do what one could accomplish raised taxpayer costs by as much as 20 percent.

The changes to the law, passed in April as part of the state budget, raised the threshold for projects to $500,000 upstate and $3 million in New York City.

They go into effect Tuesday.

The changes also allow cities and towns to opt out of the Wicks Law, but only if they enter into a so-called project labor agreement that all but requires that contractors hire a mostly union work force.

The provision has some nonunion contractors saying they will no longer bid on municipal construction projects, because winning would mean they couldn't use their own workers.

"What do you do with the people you've been working with over the years?" asked Peter Wilkinson, owner of Zapatanze Painting, a three-employee company in Albany.

"It's like if the Republicans won, but then they were told, 'You have to use 80 percent Democrats.' "

Rebecca Meinking, president of the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., a nonunion industry group, said if contractors like Zapatanze opt out of public projects, it will increase project costs.

"Simple economics says that when you shrink the size of the bidding pool, construction costs go up," she said.

Meinking's group and others campaigned for lawmakers to repeal the changes, but the effort failed when lawmakers on Tuesday night ended the legislative session.

Business and nonunion construction groups on Wednesday promised to continue their effort if lawmakers return to address unfinished business later this summer.

Wilkinson said that in the meantime, he'll likely have to survive on nonmunicipal work.

That might not be easy: Last year, work from the city of Schenectady kept his company afloat, he said.

"That was the only thing I had going," Wilkinson said.

"That kept me busy and kept my bills paid."

Chris Churchill can be reached at 454-5442 or by e-mail at cchurchill@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

"Court decision favors ex-chairman of NYSE - Judges dismiss four counts against Richard Grasso that had been filed by Spitzer"

By JENNY ANDERSON, New York Times

First published: Thursday, June 26, 2008

NEW YORK -- On Wall Street, there are stars that fade and stars that fight.

Richard A. Grasso is one of the latter.

On Wednesday, Grasso, the former chairman and chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange, won another round in his almost five-year battle to keep the $187.5 million of pay he amassed during his eight years at the helm of the Big Board.

The state Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling dismissing four of six counts originally brought by Eliot Spitzer, then New York's attorney general, against Grasso.

The decision leaves Spitzer's successor, Andrew M. Cuomo, two claims to pursue.

Since 2004, the attorney general's office has argued that Grasso's pay was unreasonable under state nonprofit laws and that his compensation was not properly disclosed to the exchange's board.

(The exchange became a public, profit-making corporation in 2006.)

But the Court of Appeals ruled that state law did not give the attorney general the authority to bring major parts of the case.

While the decision is a win for Grasso, the war is not over.

In 2006, Justice Charles E. Ramos of state Supreme Court in Manhattan ruled that Grasso had breached his fiduciary duty to keep the board informed about his pay and ordered Grasso to pay back at least $100 million.

Grasso is appealing that decision.

"Both sides have something to look forward to," said Richard J. Schulman, a securities lawyer for Bryan Cave.

"The attorney general has a decision from the lowest court saying there has been a breach of fiduciary duty."

"But Grasso has slimmed down the case against him."

Grasso's fight to keep his pay has drawn widespread attention, partly because of his rags-to-riches story.

He grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Queens, dropped out of college and started working as a clerk at the exchange.

But he rose through the ranks, ultimately securing the chairman's title and ringing the exchange's famous bell with business and political luminaries.

Grasso will now wait to see what happens with his appeal of the two remaining charges, while Cuomo must decide how to proceed with the remaining claims.

[Livyjr]

"City 'burned' on building deal"

By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Business writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Friday, June 27, 2008

TROY -- City officials say a woman who promised to rehab an abandoned South Troy apartment building stripped the structure instead, forcing its demolition Thursday.

"We got burned," Mayor Harry Tutunjian said.

Officials say Maxine Douglas purchased 393 Fourth St. from the city in November under the stipulation that she begin renovation of the long-neglected structure within six months.

When Douglas failed to do so, officials said, they moved to retake ownership.

The city says that as of June 1, Douglas no longer owned the building.

But that didn't stop her and contractors from allegedly entering the building and removing everything of value, including a mahogany staircase, windows, copper piping and more.

The city alleges Douglas even cut the floor joists that hold the building together, rendering the structure unsound and a danger to the neighborhood.

Douglas has been ticketed for several code violations.

But Tutunjian and David Mitchell, the city's attorney, promised they will push for dozens of civil and criminal charges, including criminal trespassing and endangering public health and safety.

"We're going to be asking for jail time," Mitchell said.

Douglas on Thursday did not return a phone call.

A man who identified himself as a maintenance worker at her Ninth Street home went inside to retrieve Douglas, but returned saying he "did not believe" she was home.

On Fourth Street Thursday, neighbors gathered to watch the afternoon demolition, placing chairs on the sidewalk as if the Flag Day parade, which traveled up the street weeks ago, was set to return.

They said the building, one of the oldest and most distinctive on a street of closely packed row houses, was a nuisance and frequent cause of complaints.

But they also rued that it would not be rehabbed, as several others in the neighborhood have been.

"Yes and no," said Fourth Street resident Pam Booker, a social worker, when asked if she was pleased by the demolition.

"For safety purposes, absolutely."

"For historic reasons and for the neighborhood, we don't want to see it."

Many neighbors on the close-knit street said they had noticed workers removing materials from the building, but didn't report the alleged theft because they didn't realize the work was not part of the promised rehab.

Some residents, though, privately said they believed some city officials were aware of the ongoing theft.

Tutunjian denied the claim.

"When I found out about this Monday, I was very angry and I'm still angry."

Still, the experience calls into question the city's process of selling abandoned homes in need of renovation.

Critics say Troy doesn't do enough to ensure buyers can afford the often extensive renovations.

City officials said they ran a criminal background check on Douglas and checked to ensure she did not have a history of code violations in the city.

Tutunjian said the city learned a lesson, and will "tighten up" its checks on prospective buyers.

Chris Churchill can be reached at 454-5442 or by e-mail at cchurchill@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

"Home sales tepid but hint at rebound - Numbers for last month indicate buyers may be returning to local market"

By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Business writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Friday, June 27, 2008

Home sales in the Capital Region continued to slump in May, amid signs that the worst of the downturn might be over.

The number of closed sales climbed in Saratoga and Rensselaer counties last month, when compared to a year ago, according to the Greater Capital Association of Realtors Inc., a Colonie-based trade group.

But sales dropped dramatically in Albany County, down 23 percent, and in Schenectady County, down 29 percent.

Median sale prices increased in every county but Schenectady, where they fell 14 percent to $150,500.

The numbers were an improvement from April, when both sale and price declines were widespread.

"There are signs that we have perhaps reached the point where buyers are returning to the market," said Marie Bettini, president of GCAR and owner of Albany Realty Group.

Still, for the year, the number of closed sales is down in all four counties, while prices are flat at best.

Columbia and Greene counties are not included in the GCAR report.

In the broad 11-county area the association serves, which extends far north and west of Albany, closed sales fell 10 percent in May while the median price rose 1 percent, to $195,000.

Nationally, sales of existing homes (GCAR includes both new and existing homes) rose slightly in May.

Prices, however, continued to fall, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The association said the national median price of an existing home dropped to $208,600, a 6.3 percent decline from the same month a year ago.

The sale of existing homes and condominiums nationally rose 2 percent in May.

[Livyjr]

"2 Democrats eye state Senate bids - Keehn, Yepsen plan to gauge potential support in 43rd District race"

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Friday, June 27, 2008

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Two Spa City Democrats will enter the race for former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno's seat this fall if they can enlist enough support over the next two weeks.

Former Mayor Valerie Keehn and city Supervisor Joanne Yepsen both said Thursday they would start gathering petition signatures for election to the 43rd District state Senate seat.

Both said Bruno's decision this week to retire made them want to run.

They need to collect 1,000 voter signatures in the district by July 10 to be candidates.

"If I can get the signatures, I think I can definitely be in this ballgame," Keehn, 49, said Thursday.

Yepsen could start collecting signatures over the weekend, she said through a spokeswoman.

If Keehn and Yepsen become candidates, it would likely mean challenging each other and Rensselaer County Democrat Brian Premo of Brunswick in a September primary.

Assemblyman Roy McDonald, R-Wilton, is favored to represent district Republicans in the fall.

On Thursday, Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino announced she would not be a candidate for the seat.

New York's 43rd Senate district includes all of Rensselaer County and eastern and southern Saratoga County.

Rensselaer County is almost evenly split between enrolled Democrats and Republicans, while the parts of Saratoga County in the district lean Republican but can swing Democratic.

Premo, 48, launched his bid to challenge Bruno several weeks ago and has already picked up endorsements from the Democratic committees of both counties.

The attorney from Brunswick welcomed others into the race, which he said would be about making the state Legislature functional.

"There is no question that democracy is served when voters have a greater choice of candidates," Premo said.

Yepsen, 49, was elected to a second term as city supervisor last year.

"Because I believe so strongly in nonpartisan leadership and working for the people as a whole, despite their party affiliation, I believe I could offer the people in the 43rd district a refreshing new spirit of cooperation," Yepsen said in an e-mail.

Keehn was defeated by Republican Scott Johnson in November.

But she's shown strength in Democratic primaries, winning two in the city in 2005 and 2007.

She said Thursday that she would campaign as a "tried and true Democrat," and represent "middle-class taxpayers trying to maintain their quality of life in New York, which is getting more and more difficult."

Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

THERE WAS NO TRAUMA FOR ME IN LOSING THE "WHORE MASTER" SPITZER AS GOVERNOR, NOR IN LOSING THE THUG JOE BRUNO AS A SENATOR, EITHER ...

RATHER, THERE WAS JUBILATION AND A SENSE OF RELIEF ...

NYS SENATOR NEIL BRESLIN FEELS THERE WAS TRAUMA FOR HIM BECAUSE HE IS A VERY WEAK MAN ...

And so ...

"Tumultuous session's end a victory for lawmakers - 811 passed bills enact reform in New York"

By RICK KARLIN, Capitol bureau, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Friday, June 27, 2008

As lawmakers earlier this week left for the summer, Gov. David Paterson hailed what he said was "one of the most productive legislative sessions in a generation."

If Paterson and lawmakers get extra points for working through adversity, that may be true.

This year's session will likely be remembered mostly for the chaos that erupted in March when former Gov. Eliot Spitzer suddenly resigned amid a prostitution scandal.

Then, Paterson marked his second day as governor by admitting to his own extramarital affairs.

And, he warned, the economy and state's budget picture were worsening by the day.

Cap that with Republican Sen. Joseph L. Bruno's stepping down as Senate majority leader, and it's a wonder the session ended just a day behind schedule on Tuesday.

"The trauma of losing a governor and losing a majority leader of 14 years is enough for one session," said Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Delmar.

All said, 811 bills were passed this year of about 4,300 proposed in 2008.

(Lawmakers have offered about 20,000 bills over their two-year terms).

While there may not be anything earth-shattering, this year's legislation offers the usual mix of good news for some New Yorkers and bad news for others.

As always, there's also a batch of bills -- yet to be signed by Paterson -- that are targeted toward certain groups or industries.

Here are some highlights.

THE GOOD

Foreclosure protection: Law makers and the governor took a two-pronged response to the subprime mortgage foreclosure crisis that prompted 50,000 foreclosures in the state last year.

Homeowners facing foreclosure now will get notices explaining their situation and a list of counselors who can help them try to keep their homes.

The goal is to encourage banks and borrowers to try to work out deals, such as lowered interest rates.

The new law also cracks down on misleading sales pitches on mortgages, especially those with variable interest rates.

Brownfields: Legislation limits the amount of tax breaks the state would owe to developers who clean up brownfields, fixing a flaw in a 2003 bill that was threatening to cost billions.

The new rules are aimed at encouraging cleanups in distressed areas rather than economically strong communities that don't really need the incentive.

Health care: Starting next year, nurses won't be forced to work lengthy overtime shifts.

The public will be apprised of unanimous medical board complaints against errant physicians.

Midwives gained more secure footing with a bill that makes it harder for hospitals to dismiss them without a good reason.

Parents and guardians of people with disabilities will have broader access to safety records.

New Yorkers will also be able to get immunization shots at their local pharmacy.

Consumer protections: It will be easier for federally recalled toys to be taken off the shelves.

People will be able to quickly freeze their credit if they think they've been the victim of identity theft.

Pension reform: The highlight here is a crackdown on "double dipping," in which officials such as school superintendents retire one day, get a waiver and then go back to work as fill-ins while collecting both their pay and pension.

THE BAD

Auto insurance: In a last-minute deal, lawmakers agreed to let auto insurers raise their rates by up to 5 percent without prior approval.

Since the cap applies to a statewide average, that means rates could jump sharply in specific areas, such as inner cities or rural locales, while remaining stable in others, noted Russ Haven, legislative counsel for the New York Public Interest Research Group, who added the Empire State already has the second-highest rates in the nation.

Property taxes: Paterson introduced a plan to cap the state's soaring school property taxes, but with the Legislature still undecided, a solution will have to wait at least until lawmakers return, possibly next month.

Campaign finance reform: Both Spitzer and Paterson called for reforming a system that critics say fosters undue influence by well-heeled special interests.

The Senate in particular has resisted their ideas.

Soaring gas and heating oil prices: No major deal, although under one bill independent gas station owners would be able to buy from sources other than their "branded" company, which could lower the prices a few cents.

THE SPECIAL

Oil: A bill allows oil companies and distributors to more easily get rebates on sales of tax-exempt government vehicles like police cars or firetrucks.

Segways: NYPIRG's Haven described this measure as a "classic one-company special interest bill" to allow Segway's unique two-wheeled scooters on sidewalks.

They say it's a useful transportation tool, but opponents fear it could clog sidewalks.

Spitzer vetoed it last year.

Plastic knuckles: Now banned from schools.

Some of them apparently are nearly as hard as brass but can't be caught in metal detectors.

Modular homes: The bill would make modular homes no longer subject to sales tax if they are sold by a dealer.

One of the sponsors, Assemblywoman Ro-Ann DeStito, D-Utica, along with Sen. Joe Griffo, R-Utica, noted there are some large factories and dealers in her region of the state.

Animals: One bill prohibits direct contact, such as petting, between humans and "big cats" such as lions or tigers in zoos or other forms of captivity.

Pooper scooper fines would rise.

The use of electric stunning devices for killing fur-bearers like foxes or mink would be banned.

Junior hunters -- 14- and 15-year-olds -- would be allowed to hunt deer and bear with firearms, under adult supervision.

Farmers could place their composting areas into lower-taxed agriculture zones.

Taxes: Warren County would be able to impose a quarter-percent mortgage tax.

Gambling: Development of a gambling resort at the site of the Concord Hotel in the Catskills is allowed.

Public employees: One measure passed imposes a one-year moratorium on the reduction of health care benefits for public sector retirees and sets up a commission to study the topic.

Rick Karlin can be reached at 454-5758 or by e-mail at rkarlin@timesunion.com.

This post has been edited by Livyjr: Jul 1 2008, 06:19 AM

[Livyjr]

"Deficit-tax vote wasn't just along party lines"

Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Friday, June 27, 2008

When it comes to Colonie's would-have-been midyear deficit-correction tax, most of the attention has been on the vote that didn't happen in the Republican-led state Senate before the end of the session, effectively killing the bill.

And while the bill easily passed the Democrat-led Assembly 87-53, the vote didn't slide strictly along party lines.

As previously noted in these pages, Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, a Schenectady Republican, voted for the bill, as did GOP Assemblyman Roy McDonald of Saratoga.

Tedisco's office explained his vote by saying the lawmaker generally doesn't believe the state Legislature should be micro-managing the affairs of local municipalities.

Among the locals voting "no" were first-term GOP Assemblyman George Amedore of Rotterdam and Assemblyman Tim Gordon of Bethlehem, an Independence Party member who sits with the Assembly's Democratic majority.

Amedore's vote is not necessarily surprising: a Republican who won a special election to fill Democrat Paul Tonko's unexpired term would probably not bolster his street cred in GOP circles by backing a local tax increase.

Gordon, seeking re-election to a second term this fall, said he is wary of paving the way for tax hikes.

"As a rule, I vote against local property tax increases," Gordon told Inside Politics.

"I just wanted to be fair and consistent with what I've done for other towns."

Yet Gordon said he does not fault Assemblyman Robert Reilly, D-Colonie, for bringing the bill to the Legislature and doing what he believed was necessary for a town in his district.

(Gordon, incidentally, grew up in Newtonville, a Colonie hamlet that is Reilly's home turf.)

Of Colonie's fiscal pains, Gordon said:

"I was shocked, like so many others, to find out the situation was a bad as it was."

Farley ready to run

We'd be remiss not at least mentioning state Sen. Joseph L. Bruno in the week he announced he'll not seek re-election.

Even though fellow Sen. Hugh Farley started the same year as Bruno, who stepped down this week as Senate majority leader, Farley made clear Thursday he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Farley, of Niskayuna, said he'll be running for re-election in the 44th Senate District seat he's held for 16 terms in November.

Do not let his age, 76, or his relationship to Bruno's tenure fool you, Farley said.

"I'm still first place in my tennis league," Farley quipped.

Farley said he'll formally announce his intentions soon.

He wanted to work on getting support and petition signatures for lines he wants to run on -- Independence and Conservative in addition to the Republican line -- before formally announcing.

Web slight

An alert reader reports to Inside Politics that the Albany County Democratic Committee's Web site is woefully out of date and suggests criminality (admitted or implied) is more acceptable than disloyalty.

The Web site ( http://albanycountydemocrats.org/Links.aspx ) offers links to various elected Democrats around the county and beyond, including former Gov. Eliot Spitzer and former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi.

Both men, you may have heard, resigned in disgrace.

Hevesi has been out of office 18 months.

Spitzer quit in March.

Not included in the list, however, is Albany County Comptroller Michael Conners, who infuriated Democratic leaders when he left the party to challenge Democratic state Sen. Neil Breslin as a Republican in 2004.

Conners eventually re-enrolled as a Democrat and won re-election to a fourth term as the county's fiscal watchdog last year, defeating party-backed candidate Patricia Slavick, who is also a member of the Guilderland Town Board, in the Democratic primary.

Conners told Inside Politics that, despite attempts to reach out to the party, he's never been listed on the committee's Web site since it was created.

"Well, they like Alan Hevesi and Eliot Spitzer and they don't like me," Conners reasoned.

"Independence is not a highly valued trait among elected officials."

He added with a smile you could practically see over the telephone: "It certainly hasn't hurt my ability to win a primary."

Inside Politics is a companion to the Local Politics blog -- http://blogs.timesunion.com/ localpolitics -- and compiled by Jordan Carleo-Evangelist. Staff writer Lauren Stanforth contributed.

[Livyjr]

"Colonie acts to sanction town employees"

By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Friday, June 27, 2008

COLONIE -- A week after state auditors criticized the town's handling of a public works project on private land, the town took the first step Thursday toward potentially punishing employees linked to it.

In a closed session, the Town Board approved a resolution authorizing Supervisor Paula Mahan to seek sanctions "against certain town employees'' and appoint a hearing officer required under state civil service law.

Peter Gannon, the town's director of operations, said the resolution was "directly related to the Rod and Gun Club issue'' but declined further comment, citing the privacy of personnel issues.

Gannon's statement was a reference to the West Albany Rod & Gun Club, the site of the controversial public works project on Willoughby Drive, where several former town officials were members.

The seven-member Town Board approved the resolution after going into an executive session before the formal Town Board meeting.

The vote breakdown was not immediately available.

In an audit released last week, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office said the specter of impropriety was raised when town officials sent work crews last August and September to dump and grade excess fill at the club and improve a parking lot and driveway.

Contrary to an internal town audit, which contended that the project actually saved the town at least $125,000, DiNapoli's office said it may have cost taxpayers as much as $42,000 more than necessary at a time when Colonie's finances were already stretched thin.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares' office has said it is still looking at whether any laws were broken.

The state audit identified town employees only by job title.

Among other things, it cited potentially costly lapses in oversight and communication within various sections of the Public Works Department.

The two people who the audit said should have publicly disclosed their interests, again identified only by job title, were former Town Attorney Arnis Zilgme and former Town Board member Ulderic Boisvert -- both club members.

Boisvert was defeated in November's election and Zilgme left in December during the transition to the new administration.

Both men have denied any wrongdoing and said their involvement in the project was minimal and that their membership at the club was well known.

Jordan Carleo-Evangelist can be reached at 454-5445 or by e-mail at jcarleo-evangelist@.timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

"Race for Bruno's seat still in flux - Pair of Democrats making late plans to enter fray in the 43rd"

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Sunday, June 29, 2008

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Former city Mayor Valerie Keehn is out.

City Supervisor Joanne Yepsen and Michael Russo, an ex-local union leader, want in.

Saratoga County Democrats emerged from two days of meetings on Saturday with a different lineup for the 43rd District state Senate seat now held by retiring Sen. Joseph Bruno.

Keehn announced Saturday that she will not seek the seat and instead throw her support behind Yepsen, who started collecting signatures on Saturday to run.

"I am very encouraged by the positive feedback and support our effort is receiving," Yepsen said in an e-mail.

Keehn intends to publicly endorse Yepsen for the seat, possibly on Monday.

"I am very pleased to support Joanne."

"She has a record of commitment to open government, transparency and constituency service, which will be a welcome change for the citizens of the 43rd Senate District," Keehn said.

Russo, who now works as district officer for U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, said in a brief phone interview Saturday that he, too, started circulating petitions to join the race.

"I am strongly considering (a run)," he said.

He and Yepsen need 1,000 signatures each from enrolled Democrats in the district by July 10 to challenge the only Democrat officially in the race -- Rensselaer County Democrat Brian Premo of Brunswick -- in a September primary.

Their late attempts to enter the race come less than a week after Bruno, a Republican from Brunswick, announced he would retire.

Bruno has endorsed Assemblyman Roy McDonald, R-Wilton, to replace him.

Nassau Councilman Ray Seney also is seeking the Republican nomination.

The 43rd Senate district is made up of all Rensselaer County and parts of Saratoga County, including Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Saratoga Springs, Mechanicville and Stillwater.

Premo has received the endorsements of both county Democratic committees.

"I'm under a lot of pressure to call a county meeting to reconvene and reconsider this race," Saratoga County Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman said.

"We're not going to do that."

"We're just going to move forward and good Democrats are going to do what good Democrats are going to do."

Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

JOE BRUNO WAS A GOOD FRIEND TO THUGS, BULLIES, HIGH-ROLLERS, "PLAYAHS", AND GAMBLERS OF ALL STRIPES ....

AND THE "PROPERTY" OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, INCLUDING ITS STATE CAPITOL BUILDING AND TREASURY, WAS JOE BRUNO'S PERSONAL PROPERTY TO DO WITH JUST AS HE PLEASED ...

And so ...

"Racing industry will miss Bruno"

By TIM WILKIN, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union

First published: Sunday, June 29, 2008

When Funny Cide shocked the thoroughbred racing world with his win in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno threw a party at the state Capitol.

The whole Funny Cide gang -- except the horse, of course -- was there.

Bruno beamed and applauded the New York-bred's amazing accomplishment.

"Senator Bruno led the troops down there when they honored Funny Cide and the connections," said Jack Knowlton, the managing partner of Sackatoga Stables, which owns the gelding.

"He used to kiddingly talk about Funny Cide being his most famous constituent."

When Bruno would comment about Funny Cide or any other thoroughbred, he knew what he was talking about.

He was a student of the game.

"I think Joe Bruno is a huge loss for the Saratoga community and the racing industry," said Charles Hayward, president and CEO of the New York Racing Association.

"You are not going to find someone with the passion or knowledge of racing -- and I don't mean that in a flip sense -- to replace him."

"Every time there was an issue with racing, we knew we had an advocate in Joe Bruno," Knowlton said.

"Quite honestly, I don't think it's going to be possible to replace him."

Hayward talked about seeing pictures of Bruno on horseback or mucking out a stall at his farm in Rensselaer County.

In Hayward's mind, Bruno understood his game.

Even though Bruno did not support NYRA when it was trying to keep the franchise to run racing in New York, Hayward said he respects Bruno's body of work.

"Generally, he has been a strong supporter of New York racing," he said.

"I thought he was keeping an open mind on all the bidders."

Hayward said Bruno also was cognizant of the thoroughbred breeding program in New York.

Rick Violette, a thoroughbred trainer and President of the National Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said Bruno supported getting bigger purses in the New York-bred races, which in turn encouraged a better breeding program.

Hayward said NYRA paid out $35 million in purses in races for state-breds last year.

There now are more than 400 breeding farms throughout the state, which employ about 18,000 people.

Hayward said those farms generate about $1.2 billion in economic activity to the state annually.

"Senator Bruno is a fan of the game, he doesn't just have an outside appreciation for the sport," Violette said.

"He was absolutely a friend to racing."

"It will be our job to underline the importance the industry has to whoever fills his shoes."

Tim Wilkin can be reached at 454-5415 or by e-mail at twilkin@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

"Bruno may not finish term"

By RICK KARLIN and ERIC ANDERSON, Staff writers, Albany, New York Times Union

Last updated: 1:20 p.m., Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Republican state Senator Joe Bruno earlier today said he's going day-to-day in office and may not finish his term.

If he steps down early, "There'll be a vacancy until Assemblyman Roy McDonald gets elected in this district," Bruno said during a press conference this morning in Mechanicville to announce a new railyard project there.

Bruno had been Senate Republican Majority Leader since 1995 and has been in the Senate for 32 years.

He stepped down from the leadership last month.