James Gennaro

A little more than a year ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched his pathbreaking "PlaNYC 2030" urban sustainability plan. According to the city’s own progress report on the plan’s first year:

 

The implementation of PlaNYC's 127 initiatives requires the effort of more than 20 City agencies; the help of our Sustainability Advisory Board; partners and supporters from all across New York City; and close cooperation with the City Council and other elected officials. In the first year since the release of the plan, we completed rezonings, planted 54,484 trees, moved our taxis and black cars toward fuel efficiency, encouraged bicycling with 60 new lane miles, and engaged New York City in the most significant transportation discussion in a generation.

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I just got around to listening to the most recent episode of the Perez Notes, where the radio host asked City Councilman Jim Gennaro if he still supports Christine Quinn in her role as council speaker [25:38]. The question, of course, was prompted by questions about the recently discovered financial scandal and her handling of it.

It’s a tough question for most members, but especially so for Gennaro, who is also set to run for State Senate later this year and probably doesn’t want the financial scandal that came to light under Quinn’s watch to seep onto the campaign trail.  read more »

State health commissioner Richard Daines, who wants a major crackdown of smoking in the movie industry, stopped short today of endorsing a bill that would ban smoking in cars carrying children.

Here’s a brief excerpt of a television interview Raines had with Gabe Pressman, which was taped this morning but will air Sunday:

PRESSMAN: Would you--would you favor legislation to prohibit people from
smoking when they have a child in the car?  read more »

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Shams Tarek is leaving his job as spokesman for Democratic State Senator John Sabini and going to work for Democratic City Councilman Jim Gennaro--both politicians represent Queens.

The move is significant, since it looks like Tarek, a veteran of at least two of Sabini's re-election campaigns, will not be on hand for what may be another tough re-election.

And it's may be an important advantage for Gennaro, who is looking to unseat Republican State Senator Frank Padavan. Tarek brings not only contacts in the state Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, but a long history in local Queens journalism (where he and I both worked for years).

More after the jump.  read more »

For those buildings in the city that are kept warm with heating oil, a City Council proposal could throw some old French fry residue into the mix. Tomorrow, the council's environmental protection committee is hearing two bills that would require all heating oil to be 20 percent biodiesel, forcing the more environmentally friendly combustible often made from vegetable oil into the mix. The bills, introduced by Council Members James Gennaro and David Yassky, would take full effect in 2013.

Biodiesel tends to be more expensive than normal heating oil, though advocates in New York and elsewhere are pushing for government subsidies.  read more »

* Pictured above is Councilman James Gennaro with Josh Tickell, the producer and star of “Field of Fuel,” a documentary about foreign oil dependence that has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival. As Gennaro’s press release puts it, “The film also features a variety of people, including Woody Harrelson, Julia Roberts and Councilman James F. Gennaro, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection.”

* Councilman Simcha Felder will hold the second of two kick-off fundraisers for his bid for comptroller in Queens this Thursday. The suggested donation is $18, perhaps an effort to draw a contrast with rival David Yassky, who asked supporters for $500 at his kick-off. Felder’s first event was in Brooklyn on Monday night.  read more »

According to that Citizens Union study, one of the City Council’s most prolific advertisers with public money is James Gennaro of Queens.

His spokeswoman, Lee Landor, emailed over this reaction to the report:

"We do not believe that our ads are excessive. Additionally, all of our ads provide our constituents with our district office information so that anyone who has questions or concerns can easily reach us. These ads make us even more accessible to our constituents and assist in making it known that we're here and available to them.

"Also, all political ads are paid for by Councilman Gennaro's campaign committee funds; if there's a political message in an ad, it's an ad paid for by the campaign committee."  read more »

Citizens Union has posted online its study on how City Council members spend taxpayer dollars to raise their profiles.

I’m not sure what benefit top spenders like Michael Nelson and Helen Sears got for their expenditures, but others at the top of the list are widely known to be eyeing races for other offices: Domenic Recchia is running for congress. James Gennaro is likely taking a shot at state Senator Frank Padavan’s seat. Joel Rivera may run for Bronx Borough President, and James Oddo may run for Borough President on Staten Island.

James Gennaro, a Democratic City Councilman and likely candidate for state Senate, agreed to pay a $2,000 fine for asking a Council staff member to volunteer on his re-election campaign.

“Although I have no specific recollection of it now, I do not dispute that in 2003, I asked a member of my District Office staff on one occasion to volunteer for my 2003 re-election campaign,” Gennaro said in a letter to the city Conflict of Interest Board, which was released just now.

The letter also says, “I acknowledge that I should have known that a District Office computer, printer and paper were used on non-City time for the non-City purpose of composing and printing a campaign letter.”  read more »

Greg Smith had an interesting story the other day about one of the City Council members who got campaign funds funneled to him by indicted labor leader, Brian McLaughlin.

According to the massive indictment [pdf] against McLaughlin, here's how the plan worked: McLauglin got his friends and their wives to send $250 contributions which would qualify for the city's 4-to-1 matching fund program. Then, McLaughlin reimbursed the donors from a union-controlled back account.

One Council member who said they unknowingly got money from this scheme was Tony Avella of Queens, who came out of the McLaughlin's political club. But the indictment said there was a second Council member who - in all likelihood unknowingly - got contributions from this scheme too.

The contributions in question were made in the reporting period of 10/1/2005 and 01/12/2006. Thanks to the Campaign Finance Board's website, you can search for $250 contributions for 2005 Council candidates during that time period.

Councilman James Gennaro, whose district overlaps with McLaughlin's Assembly district, had 17 contributions that fit the search, but a lawyer for his campaign said Gennaro personally knows all those donors, and they're not connected to McLaughlin in any way.

Tom White, whose campaign advisor (and my old boss) worked closely with McLaughlin, got ten $250 contributions during that time. Including one from the Central Labor Council PAC. White's office said they would get back to me, and so far hasn't.

One person floated Dennis Gallagher's name, but he received 0 contributions that fit the description.

So, who is that other Council member?

-- Azi Paybarah