The New Boss

 

 NY Post

The new GOP chief on the City Council told The Post after her stunning ascension Friday that she wants to be a “hands-on” leader while growing the Republican presence in New York.

“We want to grow our party in the senate, in the assembly, grow our party right here in the City Council,” said Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola — who took the helm of the smattering of Republicans on the council in a contoversial vote Friday.

Ariola, born and raised in the 32nd District that she serves, said her focus as the council’s GOP leader won’t stray from her current priorities — which include getting unvaxxed city workers who were sacked during the pandemic their jobs back and making sure “sanctuary city” laws serving even some illegal migrants are used for their intended purpose. 

“If the president brought back the people who were in the armed forces without having to get alleged vaccine, why can’t our municipal workers come back?” Ariola said.

“And our right-to-shelter laws in this city were meant for our homeless population,” she said. 

Such issues have been debated exhaustively between the council and the Adams administration —  but Ariola hopes as a GOP leader she’ll be able to push the agenda even more with the help of other Republican honchos and even Democrats.

“I want this to be a working office. I want this to be an office that is active on all levels of government, from the federal government all the way to the city government,” she said.

“I want to continue to work with all my colleagues even on the Democratic side, and the speaker. It’s very important to have that relationship.

“I was also once chair of the [Queens] Republican Party, and I really had no problem backing a conservative Democrat.”

The longtime Queens civic leader won a Republican primary in June 2021 with more than 80% of the vote and in November the same year was elected to the City Council in a general election by a margin of more than 65%.

District 19 mystery candidate surfaces

Does anyone know who this is? Is he still planning to run? He apparently attended a GOP breakfast and said he is running but there is scant info about him.

If he's still in, does it hurt Vallone or Graziano more?

Good luck district 19!

Hey, Eric, it's time to sh*t or get off the pot

From the Observer:

Only one of the four contenders to appear at the Columbia University College Republicans’ mayoral primary forum have yet to announce his candidacy—Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich, who promised reporters afterward he was “very close to making a decision.”

In his opening statement, Ulrich claimed that he was weighing a run because Mayor Bill de Blasio, a liberal Democrat, does not appear to be interested in the job. The councilman, who is eligible for another four-year term representing Howard Beach and parts of the Rockaways, has raised just short of $52,000 in a committee for undeclared office—some of it with the help of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, whom Ulrich backed in New York’s primary last April.

“It’s the million dollar question, right?” Ulrich admitted to the press. “I haven’t made a decision yet. I’m very close to making a decision and I should have an announcement soon, but I’m still considering a run for mayor because I’m concerned about the future of the city and because I do believe that Bill de Blasio can be beaten.”

The forum also included real estate executive Paul Massey, former Jets defensive lineman-turned-minister Rev. Michel Faulkner and actor and disability rights advocate Darren Aquino.

2,000 protesters shut Maspeth streets down

Photo by Robert Holden

I was wondering when a community in Queens was going to tell de Blasio to shove it and from the photos and videos coming in, it appears that day was yesterday. Roughly 2000 people poured into the streets of Maspeth to protest BDB's planned dumping of a homeless shelter for "high risk" adult couples on the town.

The protesters assembled at the Holiday Inn Express near Maurice Avenue and marched through the streets of Maspeth, led by civic leaders and State Senator Tony Avella. Several candidates for election, including Democratic Assembly candidate Brian Barnwell, Republican Assembly candidate Tony Nunziato and State Senate candidate Michael Conigliaro participated. In fact, the Queens County GOP sent several reps to march with their banner, but not one cog of the Democratic Queens Machine bothered to show up.

The marchers left the hotel area and entered the heart of Maspeth, heading east on Grand Avenue and shutting it down. After marching through almost the entire length of town, they doubled back and marched up 69th Street, stopping to jeer Marge Markey at both her office and her home. They then walked down to Maurice Park and over the pedestrian bridge back to the hotel.

Yesterday was quite hot but thanks to water donated by Rosa's Pizza and O'Neill's Restaurant, nearly everyone who participated made the full 5 mile round trip.

Although the tweeders, through their lackeys in the media, like to portray Maspeth residents (or anyone opposed to a homeless shelter) as "racist", there were a number of non-white people either marching or cheering the protesters on from their homes. People of all races don't want their quality of life destroyed, their families living in fear, or their property investments threatened by the presence of a facility that even the city admits will cause major problems in the community. And that's what Lincoln Restler, Bill de Blasio and the rest of the tweeders need to understand before they get swept out of office by an electoral tsunami.

However, with responses like THIS, it doesn't appear that Liz Crowley is getting the message:

A light rain was falling as Community Board member Jerry Drake addressed about 200 protesters on Thursday night, August 25th in front of the Holiday Inn Express near Maurice Avenue and the L.I.E in Maspeth. Drake was the last speaker of the night and reported on a meeting he had earlier that day with Council Member Elizabeth Crowley in her Glendale office.

Drake told the crowd that he had asked Crowley if she would attend the giant protest march scheduled for Saturday, August 27th through the Maspeth community to protest the de Blasio Administration's decision to convert Holiday Inn Express into a homeless shelter for 220 adults. Crowley told Drake that she would not attend the march. The news however did not surprise the crowd since Crowley had not attended any of the 9 daily protests that regularly draw between 200-300 protesters. A frustrated Jerry Drake asked Crowley why she decided not attend the protests or the scheduled march to support her Maspeth constituents in a show of unity against Mayor de Blasio. "I didn't like the way I was treated at the Martin Luther School homeless meeting (on Aug. 3rd)," said Crowley. Drake reported that he asked Crowley what he should report back to the protesters. "Tell them whatever you want," she replied.

Crowley then told Drake that the Maspeth shelter was going to happen because the Mayor wants to place homeless shelters in Queens and particularly in the Community Board 5 area that has no shelters. When Drake reminded Crowley that she is up for reelection next year she responded, "I'll cross that bridge when the time comes." Crowley's response angered the protesters with many chanting ‒ "Vote her out!"

Meet the new boss

From the Forum:

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner will be named the next chairman of the Queens County Republican Party, according to a published report and several sources.

Turner, a retired television executive and Rockaway resident who won the 2011 special election for the 9th Congressional District seat following Anthony Weiner’s resignation amid his initial sexting scandal, will formally be awarded the post by state Republican chief Ed Cox at a meeting of the QGOP executive committee this Thursday evening in Forest Hills, according to Bart Haggerty, a state GOP committeeman and district leader.

“The war is over,” Haggerty told The Forum on Monday. “This puts an end to the dispute once and for all.”

No GOPer running in SD11 Senate race

From the Times Ledger:

September’s Democratic primary between state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and former city Comptroller John Liu will be for all the marbles since there will be no Republican contender on the ballot.

For the first time in more than four decades, Queens Republicans have failed to amass enough petition signatures to get a candidate on the ballot in District 11, according to the city Board of Elections.

The GOP collected a mere 788 signatures for its candidate, Elio Forcina, far short of the 1,000 required to get on the ballot.

“It’s a huge disappointment to see the Queens Republican organization is just so incompetent that we can’t even get a candidate in a district in which Republicans can win,” said John Watch, the former president of the North East Queens Republican Club, who still serves on the group’s board. “It’s a joke.”

Of the signatures gathered in the district, only 545 were valid, the BOE said.

Judge becomes new Queens GOP chair

From the Queens Chronicle:

Queens Republicans have a new chairman.

After the death of Phil Ragusa last month, the county party’s executive vice chairman, Robert Beltrani of Jackson Heights, was automatically elevated to chairman.

Beltrani, a judge with the New York State Division of Parole, will serve as chairman for the remainder of Ragusa’s term, which will expire in September 2015. Ragusa was re-elected chairman last September, according to Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak.

A loyalist of the late chairman, Beltrani ran for state Senate in the special election to replace Hiram Monserrate after the senator was expelled from the Legislature following his conviction for assaulting his former girlfriend. Beltrani entered the race after an unsuccessful attempt by Queens Republicans to lure former Democratic Councilwoman Helen Sears, who had just been ousted a few months earlier, onto their ballot line. Beltrani lost the race to then-Assemblyman Jose Peralta. He has also ran several times for state Supreme Court, most recently in 2012.

Who will lead the Queens GOP?

From the Times Ledger:

Phil Ragusa, chairman of the Queens Republican Party, died Tuesday surrounded by his family after a short battle with leukemia, the party said.

Ragusa, who lived in Whitestone, had headed the Queens GOP party since 2007, according to spokesman Robert Hornak.
Bayside Pilates

“Chairman Ragusa will be remembered for his integrity and commitment to the democratic process and was viewed by many as not just a friend but a mentor,” Hornak said.

Ragusa was 74.

Ragusa remains head of Queens GOP

From the Queens Tribune:

Phil Ragusa will remain chair of the Queens County Republican Party after the petition against his election was dismissed.

According to a court filing obtained by the Queens Tribune, the judge ruled the case against last September’s reorganizational meeting invalid, saying there was not enough evidence to overturn the vote, which saw Ragusa retain his position as head of the Queens GOP, against former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner.

“The court has examined the petition and finds that it fails to set forth facts sufficient to justify the relief requested. The petition must set forth facts supporting the claim that irregularities occurred at the organizational meeting which altered the outcome of the election,” the filing read in part.

Last year, Turner’s side, represented by former Councilman Tom Ognibene, filed a petition in court, challenging the vote over concerns about the meeting’s operation, including the vote being held on a weekday afternoon, which allegedly prevented some members from attending the meeting.

The filing ruled that notice for the meeting was clear and sufficient.

GOP war gets down and dirty

2 GOP candidates for State Committee decided to challenge Phil Ragusa and the status quo, and this was the result:



Mr. Bacarella was on the board of Unisphere, Inc when Estelle Cooper was stealing from it?

Well, wasn't Phil Ragusa the treasurer of said organization?



There actually is no proof that any of the allegations of identity theft or forgery are true.

Those attacked struck back...





Well, you can't argue with that...

Should Bob Turner lead the Queens GOP?

From The Politicker:

In the wake of bribery charges being brought against the Queens Republican Party’s executive vice president, Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich is calling for former Congressman Bob Turner to the lead the party.

“I want to see Bob Turner as the next chairman and I want [Queens GOP Chair] Phil Ragusa to resign immediately,” Mr. Ulrich told Politicker. “I believe Ragusa has an obligation to step aside. The only person who can bring peace and bring people together is Bob Turner because of his integrity, character and ability to work with people on different sides. He’s very conciliatory.”

Mr. Turner lost his congressional seat in the decennial redistricting process last year. He has been a rumored candidate to replace Mr. Ragusa, who angered some party insiders when he ran a primary opponent against Mr. Ulrich’s State Senate bid last year–the latest in what has been an ongoing feud between the party’s two factions. For his part, Mr. Ulrich also tried and failed to oust Mr. Ragusa in 2011.

Mr. Ulrich further said he was shocked that his colleague, Republican Councilman Dan Halloran, was charged with participating in an alleged bribery scheme to land Democratic State Sen. Malcolm Smith in the Republican primary, but was not surprised Vince Tabone, the executive vice president of the Queens GOP, was arrested as well.

Queens GOP gets big booster

From Crain's:

Supermarket billionaire John Catsimatidis is continuing his pattern of offering financial support to those willing to support his mayoral bid: His just-posted campaign filing shows $23,000 in payments to the Queens Republican Party's housekeeping account on March 1, which came after the Queens Republican Party officially endorsed his candidacy.

In December, Mr. Catsimatidis bluntly told Crain's that his donations to political parties "depends on who is supporting me."

Regardless of the payment, it's not surprising that the Queens Republicans would back Mr. Catsimatidis. He has had a long relationship with the party leadership. And its executive vice-chairman, Vincent Tabone, is a paid consultant on Mr. Catsimatidis' campaign. Mr. Tabone also works for Ms. Catsimatidis' Red Apple Group. In general, Mr. Catsimatidis' generosity over the years had helped endear him to the various county chairmen.

Why is NY's Medicaid so damn expensive?

From the NY Post:

State Senate Republicans plan to investigate New York’s costliest-in-the-nation Medicaid system and echoed congressional calls for an independent audit of the $54 billion annual program.

The Senate GOP said it will particularly target accusations of “complacency and inaction” by the state Office of the Medicaid Inspector General under Gov. Cuomo.

The Republicans also said yesterday that New York’s Medicaid program generally needs more continual monitoring and evaluation from outside auditors.

A recent congressional report contended that New York overbilled the federal government by billions of dollars over 20 years.

Protecting the public from the mentally ill

From the Daily News:

There’s a drive on in Albany for legislation that would better protect New Yorkers from dangerously disturbed people who wreak bloody mayhem while off their psychiatric medications.

Prompted by the death of Sunando Sen, who was hurled last month in front of a subway train, state Senate Republicans are pushing to close loopholes in Kendra’s Law, a statute that empowers authorities to compel sick people to take the drugs necessary to keep them nonviolent, and to commit them to psychiatric facilities if they refuse.

Sen was pushed by a deranged woman with a history of violent outbursts — and of refusing to take her meds. The episode was a high-profile example of the deaths and injuries that similarly ill people inflict regularly on themselves or others.

Named in memory of Kendra Webdale, who was pushed off a subway platform by a deranged man in 1999, the law is a well-documented success that has protected the public while helping to keep mental patients out of hospitals and out of prisons. But the law also has well-documented flaws that must be addressed.

Under Conference Leader Dean Skelos, Republicans have gotten behind a bill sponsored by two upstaters, Republican Sen. Cathy Young and Democratic Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther.

The measure would extend the maximum term of treatment orders to one year from six months; require prisons, jails and mental hospitals to consider seeking treatment orders for mentally ill prisoners before releasing them to the streets, and stop patients from ducking supervision by moving between counties.

Unfortunately, Gov. Cuomo failed to include Kendra’s Law reform in his State of the State agenda. Even more unfortunately, Assembly Democrats have long been cool to the legislation. Now, though, while Sen’s death is still vivid in memory, all must act to enhance safety for the public and for the ill.

Democrats have their own bill to address the issue, which failed to make it out of an Assembly committee last year.

Smith makes deal with the GOP

From the NY Post:

Queens Democrat Malcolm Smith is joining forces with Republicans in a new coalition to run the fractured state Senate, the Post has learned.

In a stunning move, Smith, the former Senate majority leader, will join the Independent Democratic Caucus, which includes four other renegades who will help keep the GOP in charge.

“Senator Smith is pleased to be part of this agreement,” said his spokesman, Hank Sheinkopf. “Senator Smith supports the bipartisan coalition that will allow Albany to function and provide real results.”

Smith attended Manhattan GOP Chairman Dan Isaac’s holiday party last night.

Ironically, Smith was deposed as majority leader in 2009 when two Democrats, Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate, bolted to the GOP. The ensuing power struggle paralyzed the already dysfunctional Senate.

Queens GOP stuck on stupid

From The Independent Sentinel:

Democrats have spent years building up their party in states and counties where they once were weak, and are reaping the electoral benefits of these efforts. States that once were safe for Republicans have rather dramatically become swing states.

Compare that to the Borough of Queens where Republican County Chairman Phil Ragusa saw fit to challenge Eric Ulrich’s candidacy for State Senate, by promoting Juan Reyes. Reyes was the candidate of Ragusa’s choice, and chosen only after Ulrich announced his interested in the State Senate race.

Focusing near exclusively on this bruising primary Ragusa’s Republican Party failed to recruit even the faintest of challengers for my local State Assembly seat! Where there could have been synergy from a competitive candidate for State Senate and another for State Assembly, we had a primary that became nationally notable for its extreme negativity.

This primary was held because Phil Ragusa was upset by the prospects of a challenger coming from outside his approved structure of leadership. Eric Ulrich prevailed in the primary, but lost to the incumbent in November, no doubt hurt when all summer long Republicans were told not to vote for him.

After the local party blew through its resources in that primary, it became silent during the critical period after the primary. I received no mailers from the Queens Republicans, I received no phone calls and no canvassers came knocking to my door after Ulrich won the Republican nomination.

A party should have a powerful political apparatus designed to get the vote out, promote primary winners and guide new talent through the political arena, not to perpetuate petty vendettas.

In Queens, the County Republican Party functions first to keep the incumbent county leadership in place, and then to promote candidates who have “paid their dues” to the county party. This party engages in efforts to stop upstarts who dare to believe that they can be elected to serve in public office.

The constant and continuing failure of local leadership is demonstrated by the perpetual lack of competitive candidates for Borough President in Queens. Despite voting for the Republican nominee for mayor in the past six mayoral elections, during simultaneous down-ticket elections there have been no competitive efforts for the position by the local Republicans.

We see a county party not interested in promoting the free market and individual liberty ideology of the national party, but content solely with the ability to dole out patronage positions in the Board of Elections.

Parties divided over polling sites

From True News for Change NYC:

For the last few days there has been talk of creating a Queens "super poll" at the Aqueduct Racino where all the the voters flooded out could go to vote on elections. True News has learned why that plan has not gone forward. The political leaders who control the board have been fighting each other for control. Board watchers cannot believe that the people's constitutional right to vote is being delayed for so long on such an important vote. There is a power struggle going on within the board between the Crowley forces and the senate majority leader Skelos GOP board loyalists on where to locate the Super Poll. The GOP does not want it at the Racino because they say the place is controlled by Crowley and the Democrats. According to BOE insiders, that fight has delayed a voting plan for 3 or 4 days. According to today's NY Post, the BOE has decided on a comprise plan of 3 Super Polling sites in Queens. But that delay means fewer voters will know where to vote and there is less time for the incompetent BOE to set up emergency tent polls.

Photo from the Daily News

GOP candidate is kinda nuts

"Hi Crappy,

It’s me again…..annoyed at a robocall I got from a Joe Concannon who apparently is running against Tony Avella for his state senate seat. The recording accused Mr. Avella of meeting with Muslim terrorists. I was incensed, knowing that this was very much a twisting of an incident that occurred last week when Mr. Avella, along with Letitia James, left a Muslim rally due to speakers full of hatred and venom.

I decided to call the Concannon people and actually got someone claiming to be Joe Concannon. I told him what the recording said, and he replied that Mr. Avella is sympathizing with and aiding terrorists. I got angry and asked him if everyone who was asked to be a Grand Marshal at an American Muslim rally is then aiding terrorists, without accusing Mr. Concannon of outright prejudice, which I think is the case. He was very insistent that Avella is aiding terrorists and didn’t listen to reason, and when I yelled at him and told him that Avella and Ms. James left the rally, he just told me what an angry person I was and I told him something like that I hope his campaign crashes and burns.

Somehow truth was twisted to suit a swiftboat type accusation by the Concannon people. I called Avella’s office and left a message briefly describing my encounter with this idiot Concannon. The call also said that the Queens GOP wants to return to true American values. I have no idea what that really means, but he’s as bad as those venom spouting haters at the rally that day.

Just so you know, Crappy! Concannon is stooping to very new lows with character assassination to get what will amount to very few votes!! I’m sick of these awful robo calls, they are invasive and intrusive. Someone should stop Concannon who believes his own lies.

Thanks for listening…"

- Ms. Tsouris

Just give the chairmanship to Turner already

From the NY Post:

Rep. Bob Turner said yesterday he’s up for a new challenge — becoming the next leader of the divided Queens Republican Party.

GOP insiders are touting Turner, who won Anthony Weiner’s old congressional seat on Democratic turf last year, as the man with the credibility and integrity to fuse the party’s warring factions. Phil Ragusa is the current GOP chairman.

Turner, the retired Cable TV executive, confirmed that he would be interested in the job if there is a vacancy.

“I’d hope to see what I can do. If I can bring peace to the valley, I’d be happy to do this. This is a difficult, thankless job,” Turner said.

Turner’s Queens-Brooklyn congressional seat was carved up through redistricting and his term expires at year’s end.

Republican operatives said Ragusa is on thin ice after Councilman Eric Ulrich trounced Ragusa’s hand-picked candidate, Juan Reyes, by a 2-to-1 margin in an ugly GOP primary for state Senate.

You mean Ragusa cutting off the GOP's nose to spite its face was not a popular decision amongst the rank-and-file?

"Since we have the maturity level of 12-year olds, we'd rather risk letting the Dems have the majority than endorse the guy who has the best chance of winning."

Queens GOP under FBI investigation

From the NY Post:

The FBI is investigating the Queens Republican Party, its consultants and at least three people it recommended to the city Board of Elections, according to sources recently quizzed by federal agents.

The probe appears to be focused on how board employees may have used their official positions to further their careers as political consultants, as well as their party’s ambitions in local primary elections.

Board employees are recommended by both political parties in each of the five boroughs and are hired by board commissioners.

The names of at least three employees recommended by the Queens GOP — including Stephen Graves, whom the board suspended in April after being caught on tape soliciting cash from a company seeking a contract — came up in questions posed by the FBI, the sources said.

One source said Queens GOP Chairman Philip Ragusa and Executive Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone pushed a board official out of her job for not taking a rival, Myrna Littlewort, off the ballot during a state committee leadership race.

The official, Katherine James, the board’s former deputy chief clerk, said, “They wanted Myrna off the ballot, and there was no way I could do that fair and square.”

The federal probe stems from reports in The Post detailing politicians’ complaints that Queens GOP consultants tried milking them for cash, according to two sources interviewed by the feds.