Tooker challenges Molinaro

Debora Gilbert at The Columbia Paper reports:

Dutchess County resident Susan Tooker threw her hat into the ring at the annual Columbia County Democratic Committee dinner Sunday night, announcing her decision to run against Marc Molinaro (R) in the 103rd Assembly District. A working mother, registered nurse, nurse practitioner and union member, who is pro-choice and in favor of marriage equality, Ms. Tooker was introduced as the Democrats’ choice of an opponent to challenge the two-term GOP incumbent at the Democrats’ third annual Martin Van Buren Testimonial Dinner June 6 at the Columbia Golf and Country Club in Claverack. Read the entire story in The Columbia Paper.

Molinaro hosts town meeting in Ghent Thursday

New York State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, who represents Columbia County (R,C,I-Red Hook), will host a town hall meeting in Ghent on Thursday, May 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the White Stone Café, 2337 Route 66, Ghent.

Molinaro hosts town meeting in Millerton Saturday

Assemblyman Marc Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook, representing much of Columbia County) will host a town hall meeting with local residents on Saturday, May 29 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Simmons Way Village Inn, 53 Main St., Millerton.

Molinaro announces re-election campaign Friday

Marc Molinaro will announce he is seeking re-election for the 103rd Assembly District with three events on Friday, April 30 in Dutchess and Columbia counties. Molinaro will be at Promenade Hill (intersection of Front and Warren Sts.) In Hudson at 11 a.m., at Tivoli Commons (86 Broadway) at 12:30 p.m., and in Pleasant Valley at GE Masten Feed (1 West Rd.) at 2 p.m.

Molinaro talks in Hudson at Space360

Assemblyman Marc Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook) brought State Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) to a public meeting of about 20 people at Space 360 in Hudson today at 5:30 p.m. The two Assemblymen mingled with the guests including Catskill Town Supervisor Peter Markou, Columbia County Planning and Economic Development Commissioner Ken Flood, and Bill Jacoby, whose NYC-based Wind Products is looking to manufacture wind-power generators in Columbia County in two years. Molinaro spoke with a WGXC reporter for five minutes before a public question-and-answer session with Kolb that lasted over 30 minutes. Audio mp3 recordings of the interview and questioning are below. The event preceded Molinaro and Kolb’s public forum to discuss the People’s Convention to Reform New York Act at the Hudson Elks Club.

Marc Molinaro

Click here to listen to mp3 recording of WGXC interview with Marc Molinaro or paste this url into your media player:

NY State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, Catskill Town Supervisor Peter Markou, and State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro at Space360.

Click here to listen to mp3 recording of Marc Molinaro and Brian Kolb’s public meeting question-and-answer session at Space360 on Wed. Apr. 21 or paste this url into your media player:

Molinaro, Kolb to meet public at Space360

Assemblyman Marc Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook) brings State Assembly Republican Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) in hosting a “Meet and Greet with Legislative Leaders” in Hudson on April 21. Molinaro and Kolb will meet with Chamber of Commerce guests at Space 360, 360 Warren St. in Hudson from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event will precede Molinaro and Kolb’s public forum to discuss the People’s Convention to Reform New York Act, which will be open to the public and take place at the Hudson Elks Club at 7 p.m.

Despite local opposition, legislature eases absentee ballot process

Rick Karlin of Capitol Confidential reports that this morning the New York State Senate passed an absentee ballot bill 35-27. The bill, previously passed by the Assembly, will make it easier to cast an absentee ballot, removing requirements to “disclose the special circumstances requiring his absence,” among others. Not surprisingly, Greene and Columbia counties’ Republican legislators are against the bill. Both local Assemblyman, Marc Molinaro in Columbia and Pete Lopez in Greene, voted against the bill. Both Senator Jim Seward (Greene) and Sen. Steve Saland (Columbia) voted against the bill this morning. Recently, Republicans in Columbia County have challenged many absentee ballots, targeting second-home owners as the voting totals have turned from slightly Republican to slightly Democratic in the county.<

Official comment?

One of the best results from the recent redesign of the web sites of The Daily Mail and The Register-Star has been the increase in reader participation through online comments. Lately, the politicians and officials at the heart of many stories on the paper’s web sites are writing their own comments. Or are being carefully impersonated in the largely unregulated world of online comments. First, Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera, or someone posing as the mayor, responded to a Feb. 11 Register-Star “My View” opinion column by Taghkanic-based activist Sam Pratt. Three days later, State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, or an online simulacrum, commented on a Register-Star article about his recent vote against making it easier to cast an absentee ballot. Bob Sacks, or someone claiming the identity of the Copake Town Councilman, also commented on that article. And if The Daily Mail mentions the Cairo Planning Board, you can bet board Chairman Dan Benoit will comment. In a Feb. 11 “My View” column by Leeds-based businessman Bob Nappa, Benoit pipes in once the chatter in the comments section gets around to Cairo. In each case, officials leave e-mail addresses and phone numbers for constituents to get in touch about whatever issue getting is being discussed. Bravo!

Local state legislators report income

The Albany Times-Union asked all New York state legislators to disclose their household incomes. Locally, the Senators did not respond and the Assemblymen disclosed. Below is information from the senators and assemblymen representing Greene and Columbia counties:

James L. Seward, Senate, R-51
Responded: No
Reported 2009 income: Minimum of $94,000
Comments: Lawmaker declined to respond but legislative leader income is public record. Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $14,500 as Vice Chair of Minority Conference.

Tim P. Gordon, Assembly, I-108
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: Up to $158,300
Comments: Assemblyman responded saying he makes his legislative pay of $79,500; $3,000, interest and dividend income of approximately $800. Wife works for Price Chopper in Schenectady for a salary of between $50,000 and $75,000 per year.

Stephen M. Saland, Senate, R-41
Responded: No
Reported 2009 income: Minimum of $92,500
Comments: Lawmaker declined to respond but legislative leader income is public record. Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $13,000 as Assistant Minority Whip.

Marcus J. Molinaro, Assembly, R-103
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: $122,700
Comments: Assembly pay of $79,500 and ranking minority member pay on Election Law Committee of $9,000; $1,500 LILAC Realty Corp. sales referrals; Riding Tide Communications pay of $3,700 as associate publisher; wife is a registered nurse at Health Quest, makes $29,000.

Peter D. Lopez, Assembly, R-127
Responded: Yes
Reported 2009 income: $134,500
Comments: Assembly pay of $79,500 plus $9,000 as ranking Republican on the food, farm and nutrition committee. Spouse makes $46,000 per year as career counselor at SUNY-Cobleskill.

Local state senators vote against same-sex marriage

Local New York State Senators Jim Seward (who represents Greene County and other areas) and Steve Saland (who represents Columbia County and other areas) both voted “No” today on the Same-Sex Marriage vote in the New York State Senate. The measure failed, 38-24. In May, local Assemblyman Tim Gordon, D-108th, voted “yes” on the bill, while Pete Lopez, R-127th, voted “no”, and Marc Molinaro, R-103rd, was absent.

Today’s local headlines

The local and statewide deadlocks took tiny steps toward resolution Wednesday. The Register-Star reports that Supervisor Doug McGivney, D-Kinderhook, introduced a resolution at the last minute at the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Full Board meeting Wednesday that the Board of Supervisors will “endorse the concept of exploring the obtaining and retention of the services of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) for the purposes of review, study and recommendations concerning all aspects of building or capital needs of Columbia County.” It passed unanimously. But don’t think this means the kerfuffle between Columbia County Supervisor Art Baer (R-Hillsdale) and the city of Hudson, largely over where the Department of Social Services ends up, is over. “That’s one of the areas I think they would provide us potentially with some assistance,” he said. “I think we’re going to expose them to the process that the Board went through, let them take a look at the data, and if they can come up with some other option, then we’re certainly going to listen to it….At the same time, we’re not going to pull the emergency brake and stop all our actions with respect to engineering and design with respect to Ockawamick,” said Baer. “How could you invite people in to study something while you are moving forward? I don’t think that’s acceptable to this problem,” Linda Mussmann of the Bottom Line Party and TSL said. “The reality is we need a plan that’s going to work. That, I think, finally, everybody has understood.”… New York Govenor David Paterson appointed Richard Ravitch to fill the vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor, according to Capitol Confidential. Ravitch is a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. There will clearly be legal challengers to whether the Governor is allowed to appoint a lietenant governor, as potential Governor candidate Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has already announced the move is illegal. Columbia County Assemblyman Marcus J. Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook) wasted no time calling the move unconstitutional, and said, “Ravitch…masterminded the $2.3 billion MTA bailout plan that include[d] a devastating payroll tax which disproportionately hurts Hudson Valley businesses, school districts, municipalities and not-for-profits.”… The Town of Athens implemented a resolution to add a $150 fee to all 50-foot non-commercial wind turbines, according to The Daily Mail…. The Times Union gives Hudson’s Baba Louie’s a “pretty serious rave.”… The Times Union terminated 15 full-time and three part-time employees, including 11 full-time employees in the newsroom, according to the paper. Among the employees let go were Monica Bartoszek, a senior editor and the newspaper’s reader representative; Alan Wechsler, author of a regular column about the outdoors; Bill Callen, sports editor; and Marlene Kennedy, business editor and a weekly columnist. The Newspaper Guild said, “the Company’s actions come while the parties are supposed to be negotiating layoff criteria, talks that resume at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Last week, the Guild filed two information requests over the proposed criteria, which the newspaper has yet to answer.”