Spin Cycle
News, views and commentary on Long Island, state and national politics
So far, Silver survives the fall, and further fall, of Vito Lopez
And so, the long political career of Assemb. Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn), resigning effective Monday, has crashed and burned in stages since the middle of last year.
Some of the falling debris hit Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), of course. He’s admitted for months that when two female staffers claimed sex harassment in Lopez’s office, the house’s ethics committee should have been...
Read more »Gov. Cuomo lists personal assets worth $1.8M plus
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has assets worth at least $1.8 million, according to new documents published by the state’s ethics panel.
The governor’s 2012 financial statement was made public last week under new disclosure rules enacted since he took office. The rules require the value of assets to be set in dollar ranges, so exact totals can’t be determined. Filings showed Cuomo with a blind trust...
Read more »Suffolk Legis. Krupski to face ex-rival from Southold town race
Suffolk County’s newest lawmaker, Democrat Al Krupski, will be facing a rematch of sorts in November.
Republicans last week named as their candidate Albie De Kerillis, of East Marion, who ran and lost to Krupski in a 2009 four-way contest for two Southold town board seats.
Krupski lead the field with 28.9 percent of the vote along with Republican Christopher Talbot. De Kerillis came...
Read more »Romaine insists axing of Walsh ally was coincidence
The deal between Suffolk Executive Steve Bellone and Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine to share a veterans counselor will also ax a close ally of town board member Kathleen Walsh, who is running for re-election on the Democratic line.
The town-county deal will put a county veterans counselor in town hall and the town will pay $25,000 toward his salary. But that means John Rago, a town veterans...
Read more »Suffolk: Ex-Assemb. Murray skips a Calarco challenge
Suffolk Republican and Conservative leaders tried to convince former Assemb. Dean Murray that he should revive his electoral career by taking on freshman Democratic lawmaker Rob Calarco this fall.
“It was suggested that it might be a good idea to run, but I decided against it,” said Murray. The newly married Murray said he demurred because he wants to spend time on building his business, which...
Read more »Grucci tapped for Brookhaven IDA
Felix Grucci, the former congressman and Brookhaven Town supervisor, has landed a new public position, albeit an unpaid one.
The town board named Grucci earlier this month to its Industrial Development Agency, which provides incentives and low cost bonds for businesses looking to move in or expand. There is no fixed term and Grucci will serve at the pleasure of the town board....
Read more »Add union leader Mattera to list of Smithtown GOP candidates
Primary fever just keeps growing in the ranks of Smithtown Republicans.
Republican union leader Mario Mattera, has decided to challenge GOP designee Paul Hennings, a town zoning appeal attorney, for the legislative seat being vacated by term-limited Legis. Lynne Nowick.
Mattera joins Nowick is running a GOP town board primary as well as Robert Creighton, who is challenging longtime GOP...
Read more »Vito Lopez will resign June 20 - but Assembly to push for expulsion
Photo credit: AP
Embattled Assemb. Vito Lopez said Friday he will resign from office not because of the sexual harassment allegations against him but to run for New York City Council.
The announcement sparked outrage from both sides of the political aisle and a vow from the Assembly leader to begin procedures Monday to expel Lopez from the chamber.
Lopez (D-Brooklyn) said he would continue in his Assembly...
Read more »Suffolk's Calcaterra moves on to state housing division
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s former chief deputy, Regina Calcaterra, is moving to a new job in state government, as chief operating officer for the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, serving under the commissioner.
Calcaterra left county government late last year, to become executive director of the governor’s Moreland Commission on Utility Preparation and Response.
The...
Read more »Schumer touts Irish visa, but King doesn't bite
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) held a telephone conference call Friday to tout his success at beating back a challenge in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday to a special E-3 visa to bring 10,500 Irish workers to the United States each year.
Sen. Charles Grassley (D-Iowa) had filed an amendment to alter the measure, but withdrew it after seeing no support for it on the committee.
Schumer...
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