Rory Lancman
The Wrath of Bloomberg?
Now that the State Assembly has killed Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, do its members fear any potential electoral consequences (as Kevin Sheekey suggested they should) from opposing a mayor with billions of dollars at his disposal?
They say no.
Democratic Assemblyman Jose Peralta of Queens said he thinks the mayor’s decisions on whether or not to contribute to candidates running against congestion pricing opponents would be based more on his own political plans than anything else.
“I think he starts funding insurgents if he is going to be running for governor,” Peralta told me just now. “If not, then he worries about his business and his philanthropy.”
There would, Peralta, be no retribution. “He’s a big boy. He’s beyond that.”
It's not unimaginable that the mayor might back candidates at least in part on their stances on the congestion issue. This is, after all, the the same mayor who donated $500,000 to Senate Republicans, whose leader then supported congestion pricing. read more »
Libel Protection Act: 'This law will give New York's journalists, authors and press the protection and tools they need'
A press release from the offices of New York State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) offers some hope to New York journalists committed to "fearlessly expos[ing] the truth about terrorism and its enablers." read more »
Tonight: Lancman, Gillibrand
Here are a couple of events that got left off our list yesterday.
A new political club in Assemblyman Rory Lancman’s district - which used to be represented by Brian McLaughlin before he was implicated in a contract-rigging scandal - is having its first meeting tonight in Fresh Meadows, featuring as guest speaker Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Another event happening tonight, unrelated, is the first in a series of planned New York City fund-raisers for Democratic Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, who defeated incumbent John Sweeney in a Republican-leaning district upstate and has been the target of Republican challenges ever since.
If you've got any others, feel free send them in or plug them in the comments section. Details for the Gillibrand fund-raiser are after the jump. read more »
Staffing Up on Craigslist
The city’s Independence Party, which is currently rallying around Lenora Fulani’s 2009 citywide race, is looking for fund-raisers. A reader passed on this help wanted ad from Craigslist, which says, “The New York City Independence Party is seeking energetic callers for 6 week fundraising drive, with possibility of long-term work.”
Other jobs on that zany electronic message board:
Policy analyst for Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
Communications Coordinator for Rory Lancman.
Communications Director for the Working Families Party.
Constituent liasion for Diana Reyna.
Part-time legislative director for Darlene Mealy.
A “Press/Community Relations/Legislative Intern” for Darlene Mealy.
And campaign staff for the Working Families Party.
Panel Stacking
Shortly before Christine Quinn announced her appointment of congestion pricing supporters to a government panel reviewing the issue, one critic warned that any perception of stacking the panel would undermine the panel's credibility.
Assemblyman Rory Lancman, of Queens, said “This is already a plan the public is not happy with. The legislature is not happy with. If there is an impression that the commission is stacked, it will not help the mayor’s efforts to get a congestion pricing scheme."
He added: “If the panel is perceived to be stacked, it doesn’t matter what they recommend." read more »
McLaughlin's Greatest Hits
If you don't have time to read the 186-page indictment [pdf] against former Assemblyman and labor leader Brian McLaughlin, here are some highlights from the press release from the U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of New York:
McLaughlin "allegedly required certain J Division members to make monthly payments to McLAUGHLIN from proceeds that those workers obtained by selling scrap metal and other salvaged materials recovered during the course of their jobs."
He also had union members do personal work around the house like "changing light bulbs; hanging picture frames; shoveling snow; hanging Christmas lights...removing garbage...searching for and capturing rodents in McLAUGHLIN's basement..."
In a breech of State Assembly rules, "McLAUGHLIN allegedly created fictitious positions on his legislative staff and pocketed a share of the salary for one of the purported employees, and he also allegedly submitted false claims for reimbursement of his daily expenses."
And to round it off, he allegedly used "$19,000 from the Clinton Club for his own personal expenses, including rent at his residence in Albany, and the purchase and installation of a wide-screen plasma television at the home of a person with whom he maintained a personal relationship." read more »
Denis Hughes, President, New York State AFL-CIO said, "Everyone should keep in mind that Brian McLaughlin has not been convicted of a crime and will be afforded the opportunity to respond to and defend himself against these allegations."
Update: Remember the Assembly candidate who had a tribute to Brian McLaughlin? Well, it's down now. It used to be posted here. That candidate, Rory Lancman, issued a statement about McLaughlin, which is after the jump. -- Azi PaybarahMust Have Been Another Comrie
Morshed Alam, who is running for the assembly in Brian McLaughlin's Queens district against Rory Lancman, sent out literature noting that he was endorsed by Council Member Leroy Comrie.
That's fine, except for the fact that Comrie says it never happened. Here's what he says about it now:
"I haven't endorsed anybody in that race."So why did this guy say you did? read more »
"We served on the school board together. He's been calling me and begging me and calling me and asking me and calling me and asking me. I told him I'd try. But I was in the middle of budget process and wasn't thinking about anything else."
-- Josh Benson
