Friday, March 18, 2011

They knew it wouldn't be easy...

From Douglaston Patch:

It's been an active three months for two newly elected Queens state senators.

Whether it was term limits, ethics reform or the push for non-partisan legislative redistricting, every week seemed to bring another bill introduced by Sens. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, and Michael Gianaris, D-Astoria — both elected last November as part of an injection of new blood into a chamber known as being resistant to change.

And yet, with all of the announcements, rallies and press releases, passage of reform legislation remained elusive in a closely divided state Senate.

"Reform isn't going well," Avella said in a conversation Tuesday afternoon. "And sometimes finding out who's to blame isn't that easy."

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The problem is no one takes Avella seriously, just as he was ignored by his fellow Councilmembers. He's not a heavyweight.

Anonymous said...

I would rather have an Avella and a Gianaris in the legislature who need to demonstrate that they can make an impact rather than sleepy old men and women who are content to let Silver and Skelos tell them how to vote and a only interested in funding their faux community groups.

Moby S said...

He's not a heavyweight.

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I am! Why do you think I can get away with giving more than $1/2 million to my North Flushing Senior Center. Doesn't it seem hypocritical of me to rally to save senior centers in north Queens when I have an abundance? Just sayin'...

Anonymous said...

Read the article folks, you'll see that the essence of the problem is summed up in this sentence:

"Gianaris is the sponsor of a bill to create what he called an "independent" redistricting commission to draw lines for state Senate seats based on the 2010 Census. Instead, Republicans in the chamber favored amending the state Constitution..."

If that happens the republicans know what will follow. It will be the end of their artificial (and dwindling) claim to power and all that business and landlord money will be left floating around trying to find sympathetic Dems.

Anonymous said...

And who takes gainaris seriously. Everyone says ans spells it that way

Anonymous said...

Gianaris is a lapdog for Evan Stavisky and Parkside.