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Nassau Republicans lead Dems in fundraising

Axelrod's long run as waterfront commissioner ends

Rick Brand on Long Island; James T. Madore in Albany

July 28, 2008

GOP CASHING UP: Who's tops in raising funds?

Democrats may control Nassau County government, but the county Republican organization still is the king of the fundraising hill.

The latest campaign finance reports, filed earlier this month with the Board of Elections, show that Nassau Republicans have nearly $1.5 million in their coffers, while the Democrats have $124,000 for campaign and "housekeeping" accounts for party expenses not directly related to campaigns.

During the past six months, GOP party chairman Joseph Mondello's organization collected $1.2 million beyond the $1.2 million it had in the bank; the party's expenses were $885,000.

Jay Jacobs, Nassau Democratic leader, brought in $567,000, but had only $7,463 in the bank to start the year. The party's biggest expense of the $498,000 it spent was paying back $125,000 in loans that his Timber Lake Management Corp., which runs camps here and upstate, made to the party. But since the start of the year, the party got another $43,500 in loans from Jacobs and his company.

Suffolk Democrats are far ahead of the county GOP with $266,679 on hand as of mid-July, after raising $295,000 in the past six months and spending $225,000. Republicans showed only $6,510 in the campaign account, a deficit of $5,106 in the Chairman's Club and balance of $20,100 in their housekeeping account.

ALEXROD REPLACED: He's off the waterfront

The 12-year run of Nassau labor attorney Michael Axelrod as New York State commissioner of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor has quietly come to an end.

Axelrod, who was appointed to the post in 1996 by then Gov. George Pataki, was the Republican town leader of North Hempstead and a prominent police and firefighter union attorney.

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer chose not to reappoint Axelrod last year and instead named Ronald Goldstock to be commissioner of the bi-state agency, which serves as the corruption watchdog on the waterfront in New York and New Jersey. Goldstock, who was director of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force, was sworn in by the commission on July 2.

THE PATERSON WATCH

Gov. David A. Paterson's 52nd veto, issued last week, was somewhat personal.

Paterson, who has been legally blind since infancy, struck down a bill requiring school districts to provide parents of blind or deaf children with information about the state's School for the Blind in Batavia and School for the Deaf in Rome. While praising the schools' graduates, all taught apart from the non-disabled, he said the bill could limit opportunities for future generations.

"Providing parents with information about only one educational option, our state-operated facilities, might lead some parents to discount the full range of options that might be appropriate and available for their children," he said.

Paterson's parents moved to Hempstead Village so he could attend regular public school rather than special education in the New York City schools. He now credits his independence and success in part to this mainstreaming. He never learned Braille. Instead he memorizes information read aloud to him.

- James T. Madore in Albany

TODAY ON THE BLOG

If Bellport didn't already have enough controversy, Village Justice John J. Roe III, on the bench for three decades, is suing the village board for stripping him of health benefits after his current term started earlier this month. Linda Margolin of Islandia, his attorney, called the matter a "separation of powers issue," saying it's illegal to cut judges' compensation in midterm because it "puts another branch [of government] into a position of potential influence" by exercising the power of the purse strings over a sitting judge. Roe, known to most as Pete, makes just $7,500 and his health benefits, worth about $15,000 annually, make up two-thirds of his compensation, said Margolin. The tony village is already in political turmoil following the resignation after 25 years of Mayor Frank Trotta, who lost control of the village board in last month's election. The new board in its first meeting earlier this month voted to take away medical benefits from all elected officials.

- Rick Brand on Long Island

NAKED AMBITION

Which was the most fevered lunge for self-promotion by a power player? Vote at newsday.com/spincycle.

1. Barack Obama, for an overseas tour that had a " White House feel," as Politico.com noted.

2. Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, for announcing an upstate tour to campaign for a property-tax cap - where he'd likely need support if he ran again for statewide office.

3. John McCain's campaign blog, for using Obama's wreath-laying at the Holocaust Memorial in Israel to attack him for once saying the U.S. can't always use troops to prevent genocide.

Last week's "winner" (results not scientific):

The "accidental governor," David A. Paterson, asking: "Why was this non-illustrious title held all these years for me?"