Will the National Tea Party revolution come visit Queens own State Senator Frank Padavan? In addition, former NYC Councilmember and 2009 Democratic Mayoral Primary candidate Tony Avella announced his candidacy to run against Padavan. There may be good reason for Mike Niebauer (Independence Party) and Peter Boudouvas (Republican/Conservative) or someone else to consider running a primary against Padavan. (Source: Little Neck Ledger — "Dishing with Dee" by Dee Richards — February 4). This could be a part of the national tea party revolt coming to Queens. Take a trip down memory lane to see why. Aafter the 1982 reapportionment, Democrats with the cooperation of Senate Republicans including Padavan eliminated the districts of Queens GOP Assembly members Rosemary Gunning, John LoPresto, John Flack, Al DelliBovi and John Esposito. The fix was in as Senate Republicans including Padavan gerrymandered their own district boundaries. Likewise, Assembly Democrats did the same in their own house. As a result, thanks to Padavan – Queens Republicans became irrelevant in future Assembly races with one exception. Doug Prescott briefly held a seat in Bayside in the 1990s but eventually lost.
Despite overwhelming Democratic Party enrollment in Queens County, creative gerrymandering by the GOP controlled Senate in 1982, 1992 and again in 2002 preserved the seats of both Republican Senators Maltese and Padavan.
The GOP losing control of the Senate has already had a impact on the future careers of Padavan and members of the Republican Senate minority. Life as a member of the minority party is far more difficult. Just ask any member of the Republican Assembly who has been wondering in the political wilderness as members of the minority since 1974.
Now in the minority, Republican Senators including Padavan no longer have the perks of individual stipends or bonuses for chairing various Senate Committees, extra staff, district offices, numerous frequent district wide newsletter mailings along with millions of dollars in member item pork barrel projects. All of these treats are at taxpayers expense designed to help grease the wheels of future reelection efforts. Proposed legislation is frequently bottled up in committee by a Democratic majority unable to see the light of day. Pay for Play campaign contributors disappear as they place their bets on a Democratic Senate majority. The GOP Senate campaign committee has little money. With Democrats probably in control of both the Assembly, Senate and Governors office after the 2010 General Elections – past gerrymandering of districts friendly to the GOP will disappear.
Life in the minority reduces moral and provides incentives to retire early rather than having to raise funds and campaign against a looming 2010 Democratic tidal wave. The enticement to enjoy the good life in ones golden years by leaving now, enjoying a generous pension with opportunities to return to Albany as a lobbyist is hard to ignore. Plus, you don’t have to campaign day and night fund raising and running for re-election.
The Queens County Democratic clubhouse machine campaign to keep Democratic Senator Malcolm Smith majority leader in 2010 is underway. They will rally around Avella. Former NYC Council Finance Committee Chairperson and newly elected 24th district Queens Assembly member David Weprin took a pass. He may have damaged himself with the scandal surrounding his last minute "hate crimes" mailing against losing candidate Bob Friedrich. Former State Assembly member and newly elected NYC Council member Mark Weprin also declined. Historically, neither Weprin has ever had the courage to challenge Padavan. It is surprising that Democrats didn’t once again turn to well known NYC Council member James Gennaro against Padavan. Win or lose, he would still get to keep his Council seat. Remember the old adage, if you don’t succeed the first time, try try again and you end up winning the second or third time.
Avella who could expand the Democratic majority will have name recognition from his past Council and 2009 Mayoral campaign efforts, hundreds of thousands of dollars at his disposal from the newly reinvigorated Democratic Majority Statewide Senate campaign committee. Plenty of special interest, union, business and other groups will be investing their pay for play money by placing their bets on Democrats rather than Padavan and members of the GOP minority. All will want to continue access to a Democratic controlled Senate. The overwhelming cash advantages will be had by Avella and the Democrats. Padavan will have a far more difficult time raising cash, union support and volunteers as a member of the Senate minority to try and hold on to his seat.
Unions such as the New York State AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 1199, United Teachers, CSA School Supervisors, District Council 37, Public Employees Federation, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of NYC, Detective Investigator’s Association of New York, Bridge and Tunnel Officers Benevolent Association, NYS Association of Chiefs of Police and NYC Deputy Sheriffs Association who formerly either gave significant campaign contributions to the GOP Senate campaign committee or Padavan, endorsed Padavan along with providing volunteers and telephone banks will most likely be in the Democrats corner in 2010. The Republican State Senate campaign committee has far less financial resources to aid Padavan this time around. Democrats have automatic access to hundreds of their own union hall and equal numbers of local club house volunteers.
In 2008, out of 95,000 votes cast – Padavan came within 480 votes of losing to Gennaro partially due to his disappointing voting record. This includes consistently voting to increase deficits, annual excessive spending twice to three times the rate of inflation, supporting several hundred million dollars worth of yearly member item pork barrel projects and participating in the adoption of 30 out of the past 36 budgets late during his term in office. Under Padavan and the former GOP Senate majority — New York became number two nationally in debt. Each resident is responsible for $4,115 of the $60 billion total. State debt grew from $27 billion in 1995 to $60 billion today growing by billions more in future budgets. State public authorities debt is $72 billion. These combined liabilities plus interest total $196 billion dollars. The voting record for Padavan morphed from being a conservative Republican to RINO (Republicans In Name Only) GOP Senator. Avella may run to the right of Padavan making the case that he is the real fiscal conservative. In 2010, the odds of Padavan remaining in office will be heavily stacked against him. Even if Padavan were to survive in 2010, his current gerrymandered district would probably be redrawn making any attempt to run in 2012 mathematically impossible.
The long time political truce between the Queens GOP and Democrats ended with the defeat of former GOP Senator Maltese in 2008. Local Democrats will aggressively work to defeat Senator Padavan in 2010. Virtually every Queens Democrat public official will end up with a free pass in the 2010. This makes available vast resources of the Queens Democratic Party organization to campaign against Senator Padavan. You will not see former GOP Senator Maltese run in 2010 to challenge Senator Joseph Addabbo for his old seat. This is the final inheritance left behind by former GOP Governor Pataki and Senate majority leader Bruno along with Maltese and Padavan condemning their party to permanent minority status in the great Empire State at all levels of government. Not to worry, former GOP Senators Bruno, Maltese and Governor George Pataki soon to be joined by Padavan will have a nice pension, a "golden parachute" at taxpayers expense to assist in enjoying their future years of retirement.
