Janison: Cash keeps on talking in state Senate scrum

Despite candidates' talk against the clout of special interests, money is flowing in record sums to the legislative campaigns of both major parties - much of it from institutions and individuals with at least a potential stake in Capitol budgets and bills.

Fundraising is of very special interest this year to players in the State Senate, with a razor-thin, one-term-old Democratic majority, where some big contributors seem to be hedging bets. According to the New York Public Interest Research Group, total Senate contributions surpassed $29.6 million as of last month's filing deadline. In 2008, the total was $28.3 million - marking a nearly threefold increase from $10.2 million 10 years ago.

The parties tout it as a sign of electoral momentum when they out-raise rivals, and so it can be. After 32-day pre-general election reports were filed, the Senate Republican Campaign Committee showed $2,136,501.42 in cash on hand versus the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee's $3,103,492.97.

But candidates run their own war chests, too, and money gets shuffled among committees. Ten days after last month's primaries, the SRCC showed a bigger balance, largely helped by $100,000 from Friends of Dean Skelos, the minority leader from Rockville Centre. By the next reporting period, Democratic Senate leaders John Sampson, Jeff Klein and Carl Kruger each transferred $250,000 to the DSCC from their committees.

A quick sample of recent contributors to the central committees gives the flavor. In September, Democrats got major checks from investment whiz Joel M. Greenblatt, Jonathan Sackler of the Purdue Pharma family, and unions for communications workers, state court officers, New York City police officers. The New York State United Teachers kicked in $51,200 and the New York State Optometric Association, $25,000.

But NYSUT also gave $40,000 to the GOP committee, which got $10,000 from the optometrists. Big real estate entities including Donald Zucker Co. and Tishman-Speyer helped the Republicans seeking to recoup the majority held for four decades until last year. The Long Island Association gave another $20,000.

Of course, one person's special interest is always another's worthy constituent. But as NYPIRG's Blair Horner said: "It is a great irony that incumbents are running as reformers and pledging to 'clean up state government' while raking in the money from Albany's status quo."