Dean Skelos | The New York Observer

Republicans Claim Paterson, Kind Of

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:07:14 -0500

ALBANY—David Paterson--Republican hero?

"It seems to me that there's a question of conscience that's bothering him, and that's whether all of the taxes and fees that he's supported not just in last year's budget, but also when he was a senator in the minority," Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said in a press conference after his formal response to Paterson's State of the State speech aired on TV. "I hope that this has been...

The Republican Response

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:07:08 -0500

ALBANY—Here's the Republican response to David Paterson's State of the State address, as delivered by Senator Dean Skelos.

Skelos lauded Paterson's focus on fiscal issues, but blamed him and Democrats for "an opportunity that was squandered" to use stimulus funds for investment.

Here's the text, and YouTube clip, of the response.

In his State of the State message Governor Paterson said that New York faces an enormous fiscal crisis.
He's right.
...

Skelos on Monserrate: 'The Vote Will Be Expulsion'

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:02:10 -0500

ALBANY—Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said that he expects any vote in the chamber regarding Hiram Monserrate, the Queens Democrat who was convicted last year of recklessly injuring his girlfriend, to be for expulsion.

"I think if it came to the floor for a vote, the vote will be expulsion," Skelos told Fred Dicker on WGDJ. "They have not indicated when it will come for a vote, but the sooner the better."

Dicker asked...

Skelos: Sue the Health Care Bill

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:46:31 -0500

ALBANY—Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos is calling on New York to join a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health care bill under consideration by the U.S. Senate.

"If such an action is pursued, New York should join with these states to protect the best interests of our taxpayers who stand to lose more than $1 billion from the proposed health care reform legislation," Skelos wrote in a letter to David Paterson and Andrew...

Parties Fight Over How to Be Bi-Partisan, Immediate Inaction Results

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:37:30 -0500

ALBANY—Democrats in the State Senate are acknowledging (at least temporary) rejection in their offer of three committee chairmanships to Republicans.

"We will not have a formal announcement this week but we will be making an announcement shortly about one of our proposals to create a more bi-partisan chamber," said Austin Shafran, a Democratic spokesman. Yesterday, Republicans said they wanted to look more comprehensively at reform, and were able to reel back three senators--George Maziarz,...

Skelos: Let's Not Rush Into Anything

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:40:05 -0500

ALBANY—Dean Skelos, the Republican leader in the State Senate, is putting the brakes on a Democratic proposal to give members of his conference committee chairmanships.

"Senator [John] Sampson's proposal to appoint new chairs should be considered along with these other recommendations, by the bipartisan committee, before any action is taken," Skelos said in a statement. "Our conference strongly believes that additional reforms must be made in a comprehensive way and not in a piecemeal...

Skelos and Sampson Met to Discuss Republican Chairmanships

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:18:30 -0500

ALBANY—John Sampson and Dean Skelos, the leaders of their party's respective conferences in the State Senate, met this morning to discuss the prospect of Republicans taking over the chairmanship of several committees, a Democratic spokesman said.

"Because the discussions are still ongoing, I cannot confirm the members of the committees," said Austin Shafran, the spokesman, confirming what Liz wrote this morning in her column. "But this is about creating a bi-partisan and effective senate....

There Is No D.R.P. Bill

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:57:42 -0500

ALBANY—Forget noon--there's no bill codifying the supposed deal to bridge $2.8 billion of deficit.

"We have not seen that bill," Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos just said on WGDJ. He has scheduled a conference of his members at 10:30 to review a bill he was told existed. The session was scheduled for noon.

A Democratic Senate source said the governor has not sent up a bill; it's still an extraordinary session, so David Paterson...

The Senate Unites, For Now

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:59:34 -0500

ALBANY—David Paterson has succeeded in uniting the State Senate.

"As I said, Leader Sampson and I have been working very well together, we will continue to do that," Republican Senate Leader Dean Skelos said in a joint scrum with Democratic Senate Leader John Sampson on the chamber floor. "We just need the governor to stop thinking poll-wise, and realize that our minds are there to get something done--he should be in the same room."

...

Skelos: Paterson Wants a Credit Downgrade

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:09:57 -0500

ALBANY—Dean Skelos, the Senate Republican leader, just suggested that David Paterson doesn't really want to act on something that would plug the state's budget deficit.

"We need the governor to stop the hysterics, to stop looking at his poll numbers," Skelos told Fred Dicker on WGDJ. "I think, quite frankly, he hopes that Moody's downgrades us. He's hoping we don't get an agreement."

Dicker asked Skelos about the prospect of unilateral action by Paterson--furloughs,...

The Legislature Has Left the Building

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:49:46 -0500

ALBANY—It's official -- they're gone.

The Assembly just recessed until Monday at 2 p.m. State Senators did not bother to gavel into session today; at least half a dozen of the members of the Democratic majority left last night. The Senate is expected to return to session Monday afternoon.

Republicans in both chambers have called press conferences to decry this. Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos unveiled a plan that he says is "in a...

Skelos 'Interested' That Giuliani Was Silent on Senate

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:27:49 -0500

ALBANY—Is this a shift toward Senator Giuliani?

Ed Cox, the Republican State Committee chairman, has suggested as much. He won the chairmanship over Henry Wojtaszek, who was backed by Giuliani and his surrogates Jake Menges and Tony Carbonetti. (Menges told Liz Benjamin that a Times report that Giuliani will not seek the governorship is "premature.") The door was left open to Giuliani as a senatorial candidate.

Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, a Cox...

Diaz Excuses His Absence

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:16:30 -0500

ALBANY—State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. is "sorry" he missed a vote on Leandra's Law, which cracks down on people who drive drunk with kids in their car, but he has other business to attend to.

"I am distributing turkeys to my seniors in the Bronx," Diaz told me by phone. He said he's distributing 2,000 turkeys. Last year, he was being wooed by both Republican Leader Dean Skelos and Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith in...

Senate Dems Insist They're Getting Close

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:28:29 -0500

ALBANY—It seems the State Senate Democrats are coalescing around a deficit reduction proposal--the question is whether it will be acceptable to everyone else.

"I said last night we're only $200 million apart on a $3.2 billion DRP," State Senator Liz Krueger said this morning. We've gone back in this morning with a number of additional proposals, as the governor himself has said that he would come back with."

"I hope that we get this...

No Deal, Mixed Messages After Leaders Meet

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:20:54 -0500

ALBANY—Emerging from a thirty-minute closed-door meeting with David Paterson, legislative leaders said they are still working on a deal on the mid-year deficit and hoped it could pass soon, but Paterson insisted we're still in Armageddonous territory.

"I don't know why people are walking out of here saying they're very close to a deal. I don't know why people are leaving here happy and I don't know why it is so difficult to understand...