Crime cameras tied up in red tape

From the Daily News:

A plan to install extra sets of police eyes in the Rockaways has been blinded by red tape, local stakeholders say.

The more than two year push to install NYPD surveillance cameras at six locations on the peninsula has stalled in the department’s legal division, despite the money being dispersed by the Assembly last year, fumed civic leaders and elected officials.

“I’m tired of talking this to death. The subject keeps coming up,” said Danny Ruscillo Jr., president of the 100th Precinct Community Council. “We’re not getting any results.”

The $300,000 for ARGUS camera systems — three cameras each in the 100th and 101st Precincts — was originally earmarked in 2010 by former Assemblywoman Audrey Pfeffer.

Her successor, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, told the Daily News that the NYPD received the state money in November after it cleared the legislature’s approval process.

An NYPD spokeswoman said on Wednesday that “the process is under review.”

One police source said the process was delayed, in part, because the state Dormitory Authority took over a year to clear the application and send it to the NYPD.

But Goldfeder noted that doesn’t explain why the money has been sitting idle with the NYPD since November.

People ignoring jury notices

From the NY Post:

More than one-third, or 35 percent, of Queens residents ignore their jury-duty notices — the highest in the five boroughs.

“We’re dealing with thousands of people, and we just don’t have the staff,” said Queens County Clerk Audrey Pheffer, who acts as the commissioner of jurors.

In fact, Pheffer, a former assemblywoman, said the office stopped bothering to impose fines as it upgrades its jury-selection system.

Using voter-registration, motor-vehicle, tax and election records, the five city clerks blindly sent out more than 800,000 jury notices last year — not knowing if the residents are alive, living in another state, or didn’t understand what a jury summons is.

Recipients are supposed to show up at the courthouse or request a postponement — but many just ignore the notices.

New candidate on deck

From the Daily News:

The scramble to fill the seat of former Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer has taken another turn, with her longtime aide [Joann Shapiro] announcing she will not run for the post.

That clears the deck for Phillip Goldfeder, an aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer. Goldfeder is being touted as the Queens Democratic Party's pick to replace Pheffer, who recently stepped down from her legislative post to become the Queens County Clerk.

The district includes parts of Ozone Park, Howard Beach and the Rockaways.

Shapiro said she made the decision not to run after having discussions with her family.

Goldfeder, a Far Rockaway native, has worked for both Republicans and Democrats, including a stint on Mayor Bloomberg's 2005 campaign and City Councilman Simcha Felder's unsuccessful campaign for state Senate.

How about an election instead of a coronation?

"Inquiring minds would like to know why it is that the voters in the County of Nassau, as well as elsewhere in NY State, get to elect their County Clerk and their District Attorney while similar residents of NY State and U.S. Citizens are not permitted to elect their County Clerk because they reside in New York City, instead having that position filed by a non-elected Judge, but are permitted to elect their District Attorney, who like the County Clerk is not a City or State governmental official, but is a "County" governmental official? I hold no animus toward our new County Clerk, in fact don't know her at all, but I don't understand how such an appointment is sustainable under the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court's rulings of "one man one vote" in general and the series of cases involving the NYC Board of Estimate v. Morris (1989) that sustained such doctrine for NY State and NY City. Republicans are not likely to elect the Queens County Clerk, in fact I suspect if an election was held in November Ms. Pheffer would win, but at least the people would decide and more importantly there might come a time when another political party or through the primary process another candidate might emerge four or more years hence. Right now we live in "Idi Amin's Uganda" because we have a County Clerk for Life! Don't you folks think you should bring this matter to the attention of the Federal Judges of the EDNY for determination and perhaps free us from this tyranny and give us the same rights as other US citizens residing in New York State?" - Walter Kowsh on Facebook

Joe Crowley's definition of democracy

From City Hall:

Want to become an Assembly member? One way is to raise money and run a campaign. Another option—seemingly more frequently exercised in the city’s most sizable borough—is to work for an Assembly member, then eventually win an uncompetitive special election, in which all you need a small group of insiders to give you the Democratic line. Assembly Audrey Pheffer, who is leaving for the plum patronage pastures of the Queens County clerkship, already has reportedly lined up the Queens Democratic Party’s support behind her chief of staff. And as soon as Assembly Member Nettie Mayersohn announced her retirement, her chief of staff already had the party’s support. It may not be good democracy, but it’s good politics on the part of Joe Crowley, the Queens county chair. Of course, Crowley learned from the best, winning his congressional seat in 2006 when it was handed to him by former county chair Tom Manton.

Racino on the fast track

From the NY Post:

By late summer, New Yorkers seeking to spend the day gambling won't have to risk taking a bus to an out-of-state casino.

Resorts World NY, the planned Aqueduct slots casino, yesterday announced a three-month speedup in development -- with 2,500 video-lottery terminals up and running by late summer.

The accelerated timetable comes days after a Bronx bus crash on I-95 killed 15 passengers returning from Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

The original Aqueduct plan had called for 1,600 video-lottery terminals in time for the grand opening and the other 2,000 by spring 2012.

Also, a skybridge will link the racino to the A-train station by year's end.

"If you're coming from Chinatown, all you have to do is get on the A train," said Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Queens), whose district includes Aqueduct in Ozone Park.

Borough President Vallone?

From the Daily News:

The selection of the next Queens County Clerk could set off a political scramble with a ripple effect throughout the borough.

Democratic Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer is reportedly being eyed to replace longtime clerk Gloria D'Amico, who died in December.

If Pheffer gets the post, it opens up a seat in a district where Republicans have made some gains in recent years.

In addition, Pheffer's possible appointment would take her out of the race for Queens borough president in 2013, narrowing the field for City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.

Vallone (D-Astoria) planned to run for borough president in 2009 before the extension of term limits allowed Helen Marshall to seek another four years. Queens County Democrats were prepared to give Pheffer their endorsement in the 2009 race.

"It is absolutely something I am seriously considering for 2013," Vallone said yesterday. He has amassed almost $1 million for a run and is also planning a March fund-raiser to add to his war chest.

And if you think that's bad, there's also the prospect of Mayor Liu.

GOD HELP US ALL.

Special election for Pheffer's seat?

From Capital Tonight:

Queens sources say Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer is in line to land a plumb patronage post: The Queens County clerk job that was left vacant by the recent death of Gloria D’Amico.

Pheffer is not necessarily a sure thing. The appointment here is done by the presiding judge of the Second Department, who was appointed by former Republican Gov. George Pataki.

But a GOP source told me he would be surprised if the Democrats aren’t lobbying very hard on Pheffer’s behalf.

As for who might run for Pheffer’s seat, several sources have mentioned her chief of staff, JoAnn Shapiro. Others suggested the candidates who challenged GOP NYC Councilman Eric Ulrich in 2009 – Geraldine M. Chapey; Frank Gulluscio (who ended up getting knocked off the ballot); Mike Ricatto; and Lew M. Simon.

Another name that surfaced: Y. Phillip Goldfeder, a former aide to Mayor Bloomberg and Queens native who works as Sen. Chuck Schumer’s director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

The GOP, which has had some success in Queens in recent elections, will likely make a push for the seat. The district overlaps with Ulrich’s and also has a sizable Orthodox Jewish population, which could help a more conservative candidate.

Don't believe the hype

Dear Editor,

I'm writing to inform you of a new dance craze that’s sweeping through the 23rd Assembly District in Southern Queens this political season. It’ called the Toll Bridge Side Step and it follows closely on the heels of another political dance called the Aqueduct Twist.

Both dances have been perfected by our Assemblywoman, Audrey Pheffer and were in full view this week as the Assemblywoman was seen marching in the Cross Bay Bridge protest on Tuesday evening.

The Toll Bridge Side Step is difficult to master because it involves walking a fine line between irony and comedy. The irony stems from the fact that Ms. Pheffer was one of the legislators in Albany who voted to deny mass transit (MTA) adequate funding while allowing transit worker’s pensions to balloon out of proportion in light of the economic crisis we have been facing.

A crisis we continue to face. The result was the MTA re-routing funds from running trains and buses into new and larger liabilities. Ms. Pheffer also voted against a reasonable Congestion Pricing Plan that might have provided a sound financial solution to the mass transit mess we are now facing. Add to those two facts her historical vote to repeal the commuter tax which would have helped the working men and women of our district who live in the district and use mass transit. The comedy part of the political dance is where the Assemblywoman then becomes an opponent of the newly instituted tolls on the Cross Bay Bridge which her own votes were instrumental in creating.

The Aqueduct Twist is a much more familiar dance in line with the other cynical political fads that rely on the public’s willingness to forgive and forget. It involves politicians walking up to the podium at civic gatherings and singing the praises of the new contract to develop Aqueduct Racetrack without giving any explanation as to why we had to go through 9 years of failed bids, inadequate oversight of the vetting process and outright political cronyism to get to this point.

I make light of these serious matters only as a vehicle to drive home a very important and timely message to the voters of the 23rd Assembly District.
The message is simple: politics will continue as usual and without accountability only if we allow it to continue. This November 2nd, voters will be part of a momentous vote which will determine the course of our state and our nation. Voters will determine if we should continue watching the political dance which has become as popular with elected officials as watching Dancing With The Stars is with the public. Alternatively, does the public choose to elect new representatives who are not politicians but citizens concerned about the future and determined to right our course? It is my hope that the electorate will change the political channel and tune in to the possibility of meaningful and positive change in our state government.

Dr. Harold Paez
Candidate, New York State Assembly District 23
www.paezforassembly.org

New firehouse in Broad Channel despite Sadik-Khan

From the Queens Chronicle:

After years of jumping through beaureaucratic hoops, the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department appears to be on track to get a new firehouse.

A bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park) and state Senator Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) that would allow the state Department of Transportation to be in charge of the project passed both houses of the Legislature this month. The project had been under the city DOT’s purview, but the city had said it wouldn’t pursue the project, deeming it unnecessary.

“With this bill giving the state control of the project, we think this is finally going to happen,” said Pheffer.

This is just the latest news in the long and convoluted history of the project.

In 2005, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens and Brooklyn) and then-Sen. Hilary Clinton (D-New York) placed $2 million in the next year’s Omnibus Transportation Bill to fund a new firehouse for the department.

However, the city DOT had to approve the spending, which it never did. The agency is mandated by Federal Highway Administration rules to have complete control of such a project from start to finish.

The city told the vollies it didn’t think the project was necessary, that the fire department underestimated the cost of its project and the city didn’t have the $3.9 million in matching funds it claimed the plan required.

But with the legislation that puts the state Dormitory Authority in charge, Pheffer believes the vollies’ long quest for a new headquarters may be nearing an end.

Locals unhappy with Aqueduct plan

From the NY Post:

Queens leaders said yesterday they want to scratch a plan to have scantily clad Las Vegas-style dancers performing at a proposed casino at Aqueduct Racetrack, while an upstate judge ordered the Paterson administration to halt its latest efforts to open a gambling facility there.

Genting New York -- the American arm of the Malaysian-based gambling giant -- unveiled images on Monday of a proposed "racino" that includes a stage for showgirls to strut their stuff while gamblers play video lottery terminals.

"That's not the type of venue we're looking for," said Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Bratton.

Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park) said having showgirls at Aqueduct "went over like a lead balloon."

"That was a mistake. I'm not for scantily clothed dancers. This is not Las Vegas!" Pheffer said.

Meanwhile, a study says a casino there won't be profitable.

And SL Green is protesting.

Pheffer's man lobbied for LNG project

From the Daily News:

THE LONGTIME boyfriend of a state lawmaker from Queens lobbied Albany last year on behalf of a company that plans to build a liquefied natural gas terminal off the Rockaways, raising eyebrows in her district.

Critics say this set up a potential conflict of interest for Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach), even though she has been a vocal opponent of such projects.

Lobbyist Glenn Riddell describes Pheffer as being his "life partner" on the Web site for his Albany-based lobbying firm, the Riddell Group. BlueOcean Energy was a client of his between January 2008 and May 2009, he said.

"I disassociated myself with the project because I live on Rockaway Beach, and I live with Audrey Pheffer," Riddell told Queens News.

He said he told BlueOcean officials that if the company made a push to do business in New York, "I am going to have to respectfully decline" to represent them.

BlueOcean is one of the three firms planning to set up floating ocean terminals 30 miles from New York to receive and store shipments of liquefied natural gas - LNG.

The terminal, featuring a deck area the size of four football fields, will be fastened to the ocean floor by 16 steel mooring chains, according to the company's Web site.

Once stored on the terminal, the LNG will be reheated to restore it to a gas and then delivered to New Jersey or New York through an underwater pipeline to existing onshore pipelines.

Riddell said he was hired by BlueOcean to complete a "white paper," or feasibility report, of where along the Atlantic coast the terminal could be placed.

"Our whole responsibility in this project was to keep New York State, the governor's office and his energy people apprised of what was going on," said Riddell, who added he was paid $2,500 a month for his work with BlueOcean, owned by ExxonMobil.

A BlueOcean spokesman confirmed that Riddell worked for the firm as a contractor until last May.