Spin Cycle
News, views and commentary on Long Island, state and national politics
Suffolk Conservatives amend $50G donation from businessman Koch
Hours after the New York Public Research Group last week assailed Suffolk Conservative chairman Edward Walsh for taking $50,000 in corporate money from the super-conservative Koch Industries in “apparent violation” of state law, the minor party scrambled to revise its state filing.
At 7:35 p.m. Tuesday night, the Suffolk County Conservative Chairman’s Club amended its campaign finance filing...
Read more »Protest planned against proposed Belmont soccer stadium
Nassau Legis. Carrié Solages (D-Elmont) is organizing a protest next week against a proposed 25,000-seat stadium at Belmont Park, contending the facility would increase traffic and noise and may not be financially viable.
The New York Cosmos, a once-prominent soccer franchise that was revived last year, have proposed constructing a privately-funded, $400 million stadium next door to...
Read more »Cuomo: Hold casino expansion vote in 2013
Photo credit: AP
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo committed Thursday to holding a statewide referendum on casino expansion this fall, after considering waiting until 2014. His plan would also give new upstate casinos a five-year head start on any downstate competitors.
The governor reinforced his commitment to limiting casino expansion to areas north of New York City’s northern suburbs for now. He wants to authorize three...
Read more »Lhota's 'mall cops' flap is latest in a series
Photo credit: Charles Eckert
Whoops, sorry — that’s three for Joseph Lhota in recent memory.
First there was the MTA board meeting where he as chairman urged a board member to “be a man” and brought up past parking-placard questions. Lhota apologized.
Then there was the episode after Sandy where Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave out false speculative information about reopening the Queens Midtown tunnel and Lhota said...
Read more »Hennessey crosses party lines on campaign-finance vote
Photo credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Largely along party lines, the state Assembly approved a bill, 88-50, Tuesday that would provide public money to finance political campaigns.
Supporters said the bill would reduce the influence of big-money donors in elections, revamp the state Board of Elections and limit how campaign money can be used. Opponents said public financing won’t root out corruption and that the state shouldn’t...
Read more »Suozzi lays out campaign strategy, six months out
This week marks six months until the highly anticipated Nassau County executive election and Democratic candidate Thomas Suozzi has outlined six tasks that his campaign must accomplish before it can turn out the vote.
To win in November, according to a news release issued by the campaign on Tuesday, Suozzi must:
* Open field offices across Nassau County
*Build up his volunteer...
Read more »Rep. King boosts Lhota for NYC mayor; Catsimatidis has Liberal backing
Photo credit: Getty Images
For what it may mean to GOP primary voters, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) has endorsed former MTA chairman and ex-deputy Mayor Joseph Lhota for New York City mayor.
The backing was announced today by the Lhota camp following Lhota’s endorsement last night by the Staten Island Republican organization.
While King, from Nassau, supports Lhota, Sen. Dean Skelos, the state legislature’s top...
Read more »New Hyde Park pasta company raises funds for Sandy relief
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, still pushing for aid to some of the hardest hit by superstorm Sandy, got his first retail establishment fundraiser Tuesday: The New York Ravioli & Pasta Company in New Hyde Park.
The company, which makes 35 different kinds of stuffed pasta, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by kicking in 20 percent of their retail store sales, Monday through...
Read more »In Nassau, Suozzi hails Rep. King on Sandy $$ spat
A lot of after-the-fact political noise over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Superstorm Sandy funding seems to have offered former Nassau executive -- and current Nassau executive candidate -- Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat, a relatively risk-free way to reach across the partisan divide.
Suozzi hailed Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) for slamming Cruz’s status as upcoming featured guest at the state Republicans’...
Read more »Invite-only Senate hearing and the realpolitik of public financing
Watch for worlds to collide Tuesday when the State Senate Elections Committee -- controlled by a Republican conference that opposes public campaign financing -- questions Amy Loprest, executive director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, which has run such a system for 25 years.
The panel, chaired by Sen. Thomas F. O'Mara (R-Elmira), will hear testimony in Albany -- by invitation...
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