"Let me take you back to the early eighties. Visiting friends in hospitals. We'd go in. We'd go in one night, in the morning they'd be dead. I'd bring them food. My family, bring them food. My friends bring someone food. But whoever was in bed would be dead before they could eat it."
"We'd leave it - maybe the nurses would take it home. No! They wouldn't eat it! 'Cause it's contaminated. Contaminated! Wouldn't touch it. Wouldn't go into the room. Wearing masks. Gloves! Gowns! Someone gets sick in the afternoon. They'd be dead the next day. Dead! And that went on for months, and then years. Dead! Dead!"
"You think if you got sick and your friends were dying that I would sit there and do nothing? No. But that's what happened. That's what happened. Every cold. Every virus. Every temperature. I thought I'd be dead, and so did so many people that I knew. Dead! You think you scare me? You think you can make be back off? Nothing scares me."
Seriously, watch it.
The bill passed. It passed 52-1. It will prevent people living with HIV or AIDS and receiving public assistance from having to pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income on rent.
So, who was the lone senator to vote against it? Who was the one guy who thought this was a bad idea? Who sat and listened to this speech from Duane and said to themselves "Eh. Screw 'em."
The new Siena Polls are hot off the presses an things look pretty good for Dems across the state. In fact, if these numbers are correct and the election wre held today, the GOP would lose it's Senate majority.
The biggest numbers to pop out is the lead Brian Foley has over Caesar Trunzo (R-FL) and the huge comeback by incumbent Dem Bill Stachowski. Foley leads Trunzo by a whopping 22 points and Stachowski has turned a 13 point deficit into a 4 point lead.
A rundown:
3rd SD - Suffolk County - Caesar Trunzo (R, incumbent) vs. Brian Foley (D)
Foley has a 56-34 percent lead over Trunzo. Trunzo led 46-40 percent in the previous Siena New York Poll. While Foley has picked up a little more support among Democrats, he has cut Trunzo's lead among Republican voters to 53-39 percent, down dramatically from 71-16 percent. Additionally, Foley has opened up a 63-27 percent lead among independent voters, up from 43-40 percent previously.
Foley has expanded a two-point lead in Brookhaven to a 12-point lead, and reversed 12-point deficit in Islip and turned it into 30-point lead. Where Trunzo had a nine-point lead among voters 55-years of age and older, Foley now leads with those voters 52-40 percent. Foley leads by 13 points with men and 30 points with women. The only demographic group in which Trunzo leads is among Republicans.
If Foley leads by even 10 points in Trunzo's Islip backyard, this thing is over. The poll shows a 30 point lead. And before the GOoPs start screaming about the poll sample, look at the Obama/McCain numbers. They are essentially dead even. It's not like they are only polling Dems.
6th SD - Nassau County - Kemp Hannon (R, incumbent) vs. Kristen McElroy (D)
Hannon has a commanding 56-30 percent lead, in a district that is virtually evenly enrolled between Republicans and Democrats. Hannon has the support of 80 percent of Republicans and picks up the support of nearly one-third of Democrats. McElroy only wins among Democrats 55-32 percent, while only attracting support from 10 percent of Republicans. Hannon leads among independent voters 56-21 percent.
McElroy leads among young voters and those in the Council District 1 section of the Hempstead portion of the Senate district. However, Hannon has much bigger leads in the remainder of the district and has better than 60 percent among voters who are at least 35-years old.
Ouch. Got some work to do here.
15th SD - Queens County - Serph Maltese (R, incumbent) vs. Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D)
Addabbo currently has a slim 45-43 percent lead over Maltese. In the September Siena poll, the two were tied at 42 percent, in this district that has an overwhelmingly Democratic enrollment edge. Maltese has the support of more than three-quarters of Republicans and one-quarter of Democrats. Addabbo leads 61-27 percent among Democrats and picks up the support of 20 percent of Republicans. Maltese leads among independent voters 51-31 percent. Maltese leads by four points with men, while Addabbo has a seven-point lead with women. Addabbo leads in the southern part of the district and Maltese leads in the north.
Maltese is viewed favorably by 45 percent of voters and unfavorably by 33 percent of voters, down from a 48-16 percent favorable rating previously. Addabbo's favorable rating is 42-30 percent, and was previously 38-20 percent.
Obama leads McCain in this district 57-32 percent, up from 49-31 percent.
48th SD - Oswego/Jefferson/St. Lawrence - Darrel Aubertine (D, incumbent) vs. David Renzi (R)
Aubertine, who had a 51-31 percent lead over Renzi in the last poll, has seen that lead drop to 49-38 percent. Aubertine has the support of nearly three-quarters of Democrats and more than one-third of Republicans in this district with a heavy Republican enrollment edge. Renzi leads 57-35 percent with Republicans, up from 41-37 percent previously, and only gets 13 percent of Democrats. Aubertine is winning among independent voters 49-34 percent, up from 41-37 percent previously. While Renzi has erased a 20-point Aubertine lead in Oswego County, and now leads there 44-37 percent, Aubertine has widened his leads in Jefferson (25 points, up from 16) and St. Lawrence (30 points, up from 27) Counties.
Aubertine is viewed favorably by 54 percent of voters and unfavorably by 31 percent of voters, down from 58-21 percent previously. Renzi has a 40-35 percent favorability rating; previously it was 34-15 percent.
Aubertine is going to fine.
58th SD - Erie County - William Stachowski (D, incumbent) vs. Dennis Delano (R)
Stachowski now has a 47-43 percent lead over Delano, after trailing 49-36 percent in the previous Siena poll in this district where Democrats have a better than two-to-one enrollment edge. Stachowski has increased his lead among Democrats to 62-30 percent (up from 51-34 percent). Delano maintains a 63-25 percent lead among Republicans (virtually unchanged from 64-23 percent) and has seen his lead among independent voters fall to 54-36 percent, down from 67-19 percent.
Whereas Delano led in all three sections of the district previously, Stachowski now leads 47-37 percent in Buffalo/Lackawanna, 48-45 percent in Cheektowaga, and 47-44 percent in the southern suburbs. Stachowski has a 12-point lead with men, while Delano has a two-point lead with women. Delano has a significant lead with Protestants. Stachowski leads with Catholics, and has a big lead among younger voters.
Stachowski has a 50-31 percent favorable rating. It had been 39-14 percent. Delano's favorable rating, 53-33 percent, is down from 63-15 percent. Delano continues to have a positive favorable rating with voters of every party, while Stachowski has increased his favorability among Democrats but lost ground with independent voters and saw his favorability among Republicans drop from 35-12 percent to 29-50 percent.
More than half of voters would like to see the Senate controlled by Democrats, and Obama has opened 55-37 percent lead over McCain, up from 45-41 percent previously.
"Senator Stachowski has turned this race around. In four weeks he has erased a 13-point deficit and turned it into a tight four-point lead. Where Delano previously had a much better favorable rating with voters, the two are now viewed by voters in virtually the same light. We will have to wait until Election Day to see if Stachowski continues his momentum to win re-election, or if Delano can turn this race back around again and defeat a 27-year incumbent in this overwhelmingly Democratic district," Greenberg said.
Stach is back. That's what a comeback looks like. I guess the more folks learn about Delano, the less they like what they see. Also, this one of those races that an Obama wave could seriously affect. If that wave reaches Buffalo, Stachowski could end up blowing Delano right out of the water.
61st SD - Erie and Genesee Counties - Michael Ranzenhofer (R) vs. Joseph Mesi (D)
Ranzenhofer has a 47-42 percent lead over Mesi, who had a slimmer 40-38 percent lead in the previous Siena poll, in this district where Republicans have a very small enrollment edge over Democrats. Ranzenhofer leads among Republicans 69-25 percent, up from 59-21 percent. Mesi leads among Democrats 62-29 percent, closer than the previous 63-19 percent. Mesi leads among independent voters 42-37 percent, although Ranzenhofer closed the gap from 43-28 percent. Mesi leads in Tonawanda by seven points (down from 10). Ranzenhofer leads in the Clarence/Newstead/Genesee County portions of the district by 15 points (up from two points), and in Amherst by three points (up a tick from two points).
Ranzenhofer has a 47-26 percent favorable rating, compared to 35-12 percent previously. Mesi's favorable rating is 46-37 percent, compared to 45-18 percent in the previous Siena poll.
While the race has shifted seven points from Mesi to Ranzenhofer, a reverse trend occurred on the question of who voters support to control the Senate. Previously, voters supported Republican control by a 44-38 percent margin, while now a slim plurality, 43-41 percent, support Democratic control. The presidential race also flipped, with McCain's 45-40 percent lead now becoming a 51-42 percent lead for Obama.
"This district is close in enrollment between Republicans and Democrats. The voters are close in their view on which party should control the Senate. The voters have switched their support from McCain to Obama over the last few weeks. And a small Mesi lead has turned into a slightly wider Ranzenhofer lead. Which party's voters turn out in larger numbers on Tuesday may well determine the outcome of this race. Either way, it figures to be a late night as the votes get counted in this race," Greenberg said.
This one may very well come down to Obama's GOTV operation as well. If his voters show in force, I think Mesi wins this thing. Mesi likes to remind folks that he is undefeated. If the Obama wave does indeed materialize in the manner that it appears to be, he'll be able to call himself undefeated still. Give him a hand.
(Is the Hannon campaign feeling the heat? And why are they using MY video? - promoted by phillip anderson)
(cross-posted from www.nassaugopwatch.blogspot.com)
Here is a copy of the Anti-McElroy commercial Kemp Hannon started puttng on TV yesterday. It's a last desperate attempt by Hannon to win a campign he has been losing. Democrat Kristen McElory has been flying under the media radar but has built a solid base of support. Hannon is worried.
The ad starts off with the question "Ever hear of Kristen McElroy?" The answer would be no for most people since she is new to politics.
It continues "No one seems to know her." Really? Then why put an ad on the air attacking her????
Because enough people have heard of her to elect her to the State Senate that's why.
The next question asks "so how does she raise nearly $200,000 in a few months?" Well, the answer is simple.... she went fundraising with the support of the Democratic Party and donors seem to have lined up to elect her and get rid of Hannon.
Then the commercial cuts to an out of context video of her saying "Luckily for me I knew the right people."
WHOOPS! McElory wasn't talking about fundraising, she was talking to The Albany Project about how and why she got into the race. That video is below.
You see, she got into the race because Hannon has not been doing enough for the residents of New York, especially the 6th Senate District.
The Hannon ad goes on that she "took huge contributions from all over the US... even $18,500 from Washington DC based PACS." The ad concludes "What do all these interests want from McElroy?"
Okay.. seriously.. again...
Is the Hannon campaign on something??
Let's go over the $72,300 in cash Hannon reported back in July from PACS. And another $14,400 from other PACS?
In September he reported another $34,600 in PAC money.
Most all of that money came from medical and pharmacutical companies.
Hannon is Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health in the State Senate. Why is he talking almost ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS from health care companies?
What do they get from Kemp Hannon?
(Again, what say you, Dean Skelos? Be sure to check out the video below the fold. - promoted by phillip anderson)
(cross-posted from www.nassaugopwatch.blogspot.com)
Yesterday we posted a video of Senator Carl Marcellino saying he is willing to cut school aid from Albany to fix the state budget. That sorta ruined the foundation of Dean Skelos' attack on Democratic Senator Malcolm Smith last week.
Today we have Sen. Kemp Hannon, another Skelos BFF, saying essentially the same thing Macellino did.
It appears that Nassau County legislator Dave Mejias has been succesfully muscled out of a race for the state Senate against Republican Kemp Hannon. Nassau County Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs was pissed at Mejias for allegedly backing off a promise to back charter revision that would allow Nassau legislators to immediately raise their salaries (Mejias denies ever making such a pledge.) This apparently didn't go over well with the Senate Democratic Caucus either as it showed them he "wasn't a team player."
The two had been at war after Jacobs said Mejias broke a promise to him to vote for a county charter revision that would allow legislators to immediately increase their salaries, which haven't changed since 1996. In retaliation, Jacobs withdrew the county party's support of Mejias planned challenge to State Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City).
Mejias denied making any promises. Angry over Jacobs' actions, he said he would no longer meet with the Democratic caucus and Democratic legislators could no longer depend on his tenth vote on the 19 member legislature. He then voted with the Republicans to kill a proposed traffic fee supported by Democratic County Executive Thomas Suozzi.
That vote led the state Senate Democratic Committee to drop its backing of Mejias' bid against Hannon, we reported last week, because it showed he wasn't a team player. The state decision, as well as local Democrats dismay at Mejias' tactics, helped bring him back into the fold, sources say.
Now it appears that Nassau boss Jacobs is "giving" the Dem nomination for SD-6 to one Kristen McElroy.
If Nassau Legis. David Mejias wants to run for State Senate, he will have to wage a primary.
Jay Jacobs, Nassau Democratic chairman, said the party will be giving the nomination to Kristen McElroy, 38, a Garden City attorney and mother of three, who is making her first run to take on Republican State Senate veteran Kemp Hannon.
Mejias had moved into Hannon's district in time to qualify him to run, but was snubbed by the party leaders after angering Jacobs by withholding support for a pay raise for county lawmakers.
Reached Friday, Mejias said that he will not mount a challenge for the nomination, will support the party's candidate, and will "focus 100 percent on the Nassau Legislature."
I know nothing about Kristen McElroy. Perhaps, she'll be a fine candidate, one that can beat Hannon. I certainly hope so and am eager to learn more about her. But, this whole process smells pretty bad to me.
(Great stuff here. - promoted by phillip anderson)
If history and money determined the fate of a campaign, Nassau County Legislator Dave Mejias (D-Farmingdale) would not have considered a 2008 run for the 6th NYS Senate Seat held by Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City
The most recent NYS BOE Financial Report has Citizens for Hannon with a healthy 295K COH. Citizens for Dave Mejias (County Legislative Account) shows him with 22K COH. Hannon has easily been elected to this seat since 1988 winning his 2006 re-election 40K to 29K against a poorly known and low funded challenger who had only the Democratic line.
As part of my diary series to kep one and all abreast of the Democratic Party efforts to capture control of the NY State Senate, The LI Newspaper, Newsday, in its spin cycle blog has posted this news about County Legislator Dave Mejias challenging incumbent Republican Kemp Hannon.
I reported this rumor here at the Alabny Project as part of my 3rd SD Democratic Deep Bench Report. These top tier challenges will begin to take shape very quickly now. I believe Mejias will receive huge funding from the Governor through the DSCC!
Remember earlier this month when I wrote about a possible race between Dave Mejias and Kemp Hannon next year? Well, Dave is looking more and more like a state Senate candidate and is even having a fundraiser next week here in NYC. If Dave does indeed pull the trigger on this one, and I very much believe he will if hasn't done so already, this becomes a top tier race. Mejias can win this one, folks.
Democratic Nassau Legis. David Mejias changed his voter's registration address on Oct. 26 from North Massapequa to Farmingdale, sparking speculation he will run against State Sen. Kemp Hannon next year.
While his new address keeps Mejias in the same county legislative district, it puts him in the same senatorial district as the veteran Republican lawmaker from Garden City. The state Constitution requires anybody who runs for state senate to be a resident of the district for at least 12 months immediately preceding the election.
Mejias, who faces a challenge for re-election from Republican Joseph Belesi tomorrow, insists his reasons for moving were simple - he wanted a swimming pool and garage. His new house has both.
Mejias may now have a garage and a pool, but he could also have a real shot at Hannon next year. That would certainly be a race to watch.
According to Gay City News, the Empire State Pride Agenda is joining the battle for control of the state Senate in a major way. ESPA says they've already committed $300K to the effort and they are focusing their efforts in the districts everyone expects to be the real battleground next year.
With more than a year to go before New Yorkers return to the polls to vote on legislative candidates seeking office in Albany, the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) has already directed upwards of $300,000 to the effort to shift control of the State Senate to Democratic hands.
...
Alan Van Capelle, the group's executive director, said that at the current time, four Republican incumbents, all of whom oppose gay marriage, seem the most vulnerable - Caesar Trunzo of Suffolk County, Kemp Hannon of Nassau County, Serph Maltese of Queens, and Joseph Robach, a former Democrat, from the Rochester area.
Van Capelle also identified what he termed a "second tier" of Republican senators who might have reelection problems - two more Long Islanders, Carl Marcellino, who represents portions of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and Owen Johnson of Suffolk, and James Alesi, who like Robach is from the Rochester area.
Notably absent from ESPA's current calculations is a long-time gay rights foe, Frank Padavan from Queens.
According to Van Capelle, for the first time in New York political history, the gay community is part of the "coordinated victory campaign" by the Democrats. ESPA recently set up a meeting between Smith, the Senate majority leader, and Paterson, the lieutenant governor, and representatives of the Gill Action Fund - the political arm of the LGBT work initiated by computer entrepreneur and philanthropist Tim Gill.
Gill has come through with $100,000, half of which went to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, the other $50,000 going to ESPA's PAC. Another anonymous donor working with the Pride Agenda similarly gave $50,000 to the DSCC. The Pride Agenda PAC itself has directed $170,000, drawn from 17 donors giving $10,000 each, to the state Democratic Party.
...
The Pride Agenda is also emphasizing its work at building a field organizing capacity. Van Capelle pointed to more than 300 marriage ambassadors across the state and said 100 new activists will attend a Long Island workshop this weekend co-facilitated by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, where they will receive training to work on legislative races out there and in Queens next year.
Van Capelle took pains to argue that electing Democrats to the Senate is the default position required to build a pro-marriage majority; efforts to work with the GOP majority on the issue are currently dead in the water. The Pride Agenda is committed, however, to shoring up the political position of the handful of Assembly Republicans who joined the Democratic majority in passing the marriage bill in June.
This is very, very good news. Long Island is going to be a tough nut to crack and recent developments have made the task all the more difficult. Those of us working for reform in New York (and for, ya know, basic human rights) know that retaking the State Senate is an absolute necessity. The news that ESPA and their allies are joining that fight in a major way, with not just money but with people, is really quite inspiring.
The most recent NYS BOE Financial Report has Citizens for Hannon with a healthy 295K COH. Citizens for Dave Mejias (County Legislative Account) shows him with 22K COH. Hannon has easily been elected to this seat since 1988 winning his 2006 re-election 40K to 29K against a poorly known and low funded challenger who had only the Democratic line.
