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Indie Party Fight Continues; Both Sides Screen Candidates
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The
fight for control of the Independence Party, both at the state level
and in Queens, has been going on for almost a year now, in and out of
the courts and out on the streets, too, at petition time.
It’s
continuing now unabated as the rival Queens factions headed by Michael
Niebauer of Whitestone and Gerald Everett of Woodside are holding
separate candidate screening sessions as a preliminary to designating
candidates and circulating nominating petitions to get them on the
ballot.
One unusual aspect of the dual screenings is that
prospective candidates, accustomed to seeking support from separate
parties, are in this case making their case before separate factions of
the same party.
The control fight might come to an end next
Tuesday, May 30th, or shortly thereafter, because there’s a hearing in
the Appellate Term of state Supreme Court in Albany where a decision
declaring who the state chairman is, will be rendered. The state
chairman will then, under party rules, designate county chairs.
Last
Thursday night, Queens party founder Niebauer presided at the sixth
Annual Candidates Search at the Ranch Steak House, 31-64 21st St., Long
Island City.
"We had a good turnout of candidates, although
lots of Democrats didn’t show up because they were having their county
dinner and Hillary Clinton was to be the guest of honor," Niebauer
explained. "Many Republicans didn’t come either, because they also had
a meeting."
However, state Senator Serphin Maltese, the Queens
GOP leader, and state Senator Frank Padavan (R-C, Bellerose) did
appear, as did Assemblymember Anthony Seminerio, a Democrat from Ozone
Park. Niebauer said another screening session would be scheduled to
accommodate the Democrats and Republicans who couldn’t make it Thursday
night.
Niebauer, signifying that he is, according to the last
court decision, the Queens party leader, billed his candidate night as
"Too Legit to Quit."
Asked if his group foresaw any definite
challenge to any incumbent, Niebauer singled out Assemblymember Ivan
Lafayette (D–Jackson Heights) because "he represents a Latino district
and a Latino should represent it."
In the opposing camp,
Everett said one screening session had already been held, at which
Seminerio had appeared, and another was set for last Friday, at which
Padavan was scheduled to appear. Maltese had already presented his
credentials, as had Assemblymember Mark Weprin (D–Bayside.
The
sessions have been held at the Belaire Diner at Broadway and 21st
Street in Long Island City and the last one is expected to be next
Wednesday, May 31st, Everett said.
On Tuesday in Albany, the
court will be hearing an appeal brought by Everett’s side, headed by
Frank McKay, the Suffolk chairman. Previously, a judge ruled that at a
meeting where McKay defeated Jack Essenberg for state chairman, there
was not a quorum at the meeting. Essenberg challenged McKay’s election
and was upheld, leading to McKay appealing the decision. This will be
on the docket on Tuesday.
Who leads the party is important
because the Independence Party, although only about six years in
existence, occupies Line C on the ballot.
ONORATO FUNDRAISER: Continuing
to build a campaign war chest as he prepares for another reelection
attempt in November, state Senator George Onorato (D–Astoria)
entertained about 125 supporters at a dinner on May 12th at the Crowne
Plaza LaGuardia Hotel near LaGuardia Airport. The guests present
contributed $250 per ticket and about another 75 supporters bought
tickets but couldn’t attend. So about $50,000 was poured into Onorato’s
campaign treasury.
The veteran lawmaker said another
fundraiser is planned for June 28th at Riccardo’s Caterers in Astoria.
To date, there’s been no announced opposition to Onorato.
HAPPY HILLARY: Eight
days ago, on May 16th in Albany, Hillary Rodham Clinton experienced one
of the highlights of her so far brief political career when a horde of
Democrats hailed her and nominated the First Lady as the party’s
candidate for the United States Senate.
Then two nights later,
last Thursday evening, she received an equally warm welcome from about
500 Queens Democrats at the organization’s spring dinner–dance at
Antun’s in Queens Village.
Mrs. Clinton was a late arrival at
the affair, getting there about 9 p.m. as stormy weather and other
campaign stops detained her. So, according to Marylou Plunkett, the gal
Friday at the party’s Forest Hills headquarters, "She told the guests,
after saying hello, I’m not going to stand hear and make a speech—I’m
going to come down to join you, to say hello and get to know you." The
crowd roared at the candidate’s friendliness and cordial attitude.
HEVESI’S AGENDA: State
Senator Daniel Hevesi (D–Central Queens) said in a release there’s a
lot to be thankful for in this year’s budget, but there are still
programs that must be enacted. Among these are the state’s assumption
of local shares of Medicaid financing elimination of the sales tax on
clothing and shoes, and health and safety items and rebuilding the
state’s bridges and highways with funds from the state’s treasury in
case the Transportation Bond is not approved by the voters in November.
As
for the budget’s accomplishments, Hevesi cited the expansion of the
EPIC drug discount program for seniors, school aid, higher education
funding and tax cuts.
CONLEY FOR COUNCIL: Support
is building for Joe Conley, Long Island City businessman and longtime
Community Board 2 chairman, to make a run for the City Council seat
being vacated by Councilmember Walter McCaffrey this year or next.
McCaffrey is challenging Congressmember Joseph Crowley for the 7th
Congressional District seat in the Democratic primary. If he wins the
primary and the general election in November, his Council seat will
become vacant. If he doesn’t succeed against Crowley, next year will be
his last in the Council because of term limits. In either case, Tony
Mazzarella, proprietor of the Waterfront Crab House in Long Island
City, thinks Conley is "extremely well qualified to succeed McCaffrey."
"He’s
well informed on every issue in Woodside, Sunnyside and Long Island
City both from a business and community standpoint, so you can’t match
that," Mazzarella said.
Meanwhile, McCaffrey has a fundraiser planned at the Crab House toward the end of the month.
PARTY FOR GRESSER: Gerard
Tully of Whitestone is hosting a fundraiser for Carol Gresser, the
Douglaston education activist who has announced she will run for the
Queens Borough President’s job next year when the incumbant, Claire
Shulman, is forced to leave due to term limits.
In a letter to
prospective guests and contributors, Tully described Gresser, the
former four-time Board of Education president as "dynamic" and added:
"She wants (the B.P.’s job and, more importantly, she can do the job well."
Tully said, "Education is her strength, but she does support business and industrial development."
The fundraiser is scheduled for June 14th at Caffe on the Green in Bayside from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
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