Suburban Democrats, Vow to Fight for Long Island

Deal, no deal, then there’s a deal, but then again, no deal. Long Island, New York City and Albany. Is there anyone there in the Senate that will be able to carry the message that we in Western New York are here?

Many of the Republicans were lamenting the fact that if they lost control of the Senate we would lose representation. Well it appears this is about to happen and if it does we all need to be worried. Who is there to represent us? Who Antoinne Thompson the one term er? Bill Stachowski the life long Senator that clearly only gives a crap about himself, his own self interest and making more money by declaring the senate a full time job? He already makes over a hundred grand as a “Part timer” if he succeeds he’ll bring in close to 160 a year, plus perks and committee assignments.

The only ones to blame for this mess is the Republicans themselves. Failure to govern as Republicans and following the Conservative line in lowering taxes, cutting the size of government, stopping the pork and patronage, they lost their base and the confidence iin the very voters that have kept them there for so long. The same dam thing happened in Congress and the White house.

The whole country is now in the hands of the Democrats, sink or swim it all falls in their lap. I fear for us here in Western New York.

Suburban Democrats, Now in the Majority, Vow to Fight for Long Island in State Senate – NYTimes.com

SEVEN Democratic state Senators got little public attention last year when they announced the formation of a Suburban Caucus, with Craig M. Johnson of Long Island as co-chairman. After all, the Democrats were the Senate’s minority party, so the new group had little clout.

But last month’s elections, in which Democrats won control of the Senate for the first time in 43 years, have given the caucus a potentially pivotal role on behalf of suburbs across the state. First, however, the Democrats were trying to unify and settle a fight over the Senate leadership.

“Now we’re in the majority,” Senator Johnson said in an interview. “There’s no doubt that our voice will be not only critical but loud within the Democratic conference.”

The aftershocks of the election are still being felt on the Island. Local officials are warily watching Albany, especially on school aid. With the lame-duck Republican majority still in charge until Jan. 1, the Senate will reconvene on Monday, and on Tuesday Gov. David A. Paterson will propose his 2009 budget under the gloom of recession.

The biggest casualty of the elections is the Island’s highest-ranking senator, Dean G. Skelos, a Republican from Rockville Centre. In the new Senate, he faces demotion from majority leader to minority leader. Likewise, his six fellow Republican senators from Long Island are expected to lose their chairmanships of the committees on finance, health, the environment, higher education, consumer protection and corporations.

In the campaign, Republicans warned that if they lost control of the Senate, the Island would suffer at the hands of a city-oriented Democratic Party. The Democrats dispute that.

“The politics are very simple: if you want to hold on to the Senate, you have to take care of Long Island,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a spokesman for the Democratic Senate transition team. “We’ve got to prove we’re going to fight for Long Island and the other suburbs and not be driven entirely by New York City. Read more–>