February 9, 2007
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHESS
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Down? Out? More punches sure to be coming soon... |
Fiscal committees began hearings on New York Governor Spitzer's FY07-08 budget proposals this week, but the real action was in politics:
- Democrat Craig Johnson won the special election for an open State Senate seat in Long Island;
- Assembly Democrats brokered the selection of Assembly Member Thomas DiNapoli (D-LI) as State Comptroller.
Johnson's win narrows the margin of Republican control in the Senate to just two seats, and set off a round of speculation that some Republican Senators might switch parties and allow a Democratic takeover.
For those keeping score – and that's just about everyone – the special election was a big win for Governor Eliot Spitzer (who backed Johnson with money and political help) and a big loss for the powerful health care union 1199/SEIU (which backed losing candidate Maureen O'Connell with money, operatives and volunteers).
DiNapoli's win, however, marked a serious setback for the Governor, who wanted legislators to choose a candidate from the three finalists selected by a blue-ribbon panel of former comptrollers.
As you've surely read, Assembly Members were outraged by the panel's failure to include any of their several fellows who were seeking the job. A furious week of politicking resulted in the selection of DiNapoli – a respected, well-liked veteran lawmaker who's been very strong on HIV/AIDS issues – to replace disgraced former Comptroller Alan Hevesi.
The impact of the two political fights will be felt in this year's budget negotiations, at the center of which are Spitzer's efforts to restructure and reform health care delivery and 1199/SEIU's efforts to block restructuring. The union and its allies were quick to praise the selection of DiNapoli in a transparent effort to side with legislators against the Governor.
Spitzer, too, moved quickly to denounce the legislature's actions, calling the decision "a stark reminder of all that is wrong with our Legislature and its leadership and what we have so much ground to cover in our efforts to reform Albany."
Spitzer described DiNapoli as a nice guy, but said he was "thoroughly and totally unqualified for the job."
So, it's war. Spitzer has cancelled "get to know you" gatherings with Assembly Democrats scheduled for next week, and may not show at a gala Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee fundraiser Thursday at which he was supposed to be the guest of honor. And leaders at 1199/SEIU (and their allies at the Greater New York Healthcare Association) couldn't be happier.
All of this points – right now – to a long, hard-fought budget season: April 1 is the constitutional budget deadline but the lobbying may go on well past that date.
Housing Works will be carrying out weekly advocacy visits in Albany to talk to legislators about high-priority AIDS issues (include Medicaid benefits and the AIDS housing rent crisis) – to get involved put on your protective headgear and contact Charles Long long2@housingworks.org.