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QC01142016

18 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 14, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com THE GLITTERING POLITICAL SCENE IN ALBANY BY VICTORIA SCHNEPS vschneps@queenscourier.com Albany’s not kosher anymore! The only thing kosher had been the famous Speaker’s Breakfast featuring bagels and lox for over 20 years. But it’s a new day in Albany, and we were part of it! What fun! What a power gathering! The State of the State Address brings together the who’s who in politics and peripheral industries in the Empire State. The night before the speech, our media group had a fabulous kickoff VIP cocktail party, with lines around the block to get in! We honored the memory of Queens native son, the late Governor Mario Cuomo, by presenting a public service award to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, now beginning his second year in the post. I was delighted that Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli joined me at the party along with Brooklyn Democratic Party Chairman Frank Seddio, and his partner, Frank Carone. They led the distinguished group of Queens and Brooklyn offi cials. We had a packed house of almost 400 very happy people for the event co-sponsored by Broadway Stages, New York Community Bank, Millennial Strategies, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Jamaica Business Improvement District. Martin Silver of Georgi Vodka, another sponsor, provided vodka and other libations. I couldn’t have done it without the esteemed public relations guru Todd Shapiro and Mike Fricchione! The morning after, there was a series of parties that I attended sponsored by state Senator Jeff Klein, who serves as chairperson of the Independent Democratic Conference. It turns out he remembered me from the days in the mid- 1980s when he worked for Congressman Jim Scheuer. Senator Klein laughed as he recalled how he delivered his press releases to me at my house offi ce in Bayside! What sweet memories... Then I was off to Speaker Heastie’s breakfast, where I bumped into our tall and handsome Mayor Bill de Blasio and our beautiful Borough President Melinda Katz with her deputy, the fabulous Melva Miller. The packed, wall-to-wall room held politicos from across the state. There was also a surprise visit by New York Mets Chief Operating Offi cer Jeff Wilpon, smiling brightly with his manager Terry Collins, and Queens’ own Haeda Mihaltses. I was also delighted fi nally to meet the new CUNY Chancellor James Milliken with his esteemed Vice Chancellor Jay Hershenson and also UFT President Michael Mulgrew. Mark Sheinberg, who heads up the Greater Auto Dealers Association, brought electric cars to Albany to help the governor with his message to support and encourage the use of energy-effi cient cars by residents. The night before, I visited the Long Island Association party at Jack’s Oyster House where I met the president of Bethpage Credit Union. They are the sponsors of our newly acquired Bethpage Best of Long Island! That’s what I love about networking — you meet the best people! And I did! HIGHLIGHTS OF GOVERNOR’S SPEECH • Called to raise minimum wage to $15 by 2019 in New York City and by 2021 in the rest of the state • Proposed cutting income tax rate for small businesses from 6.5% to as low as 4% effective next year. Applies to businesses with less than 100 employees and net income below $390K • Called for 12 weeks of paid leave for workers to care for a new child or sick relative • Proposed $20 billion for new affordable housing and more shelter beds. Called for audit of homeless shelters—those unsafe would be required to add police protection or be closed/taken over • Expanded on long term plans to redesign/ update Penn Station, expand the Javits Center, add a 3rd rail line for LIRR, redesign 30 subway stations, improve upstate airports, spend $22 billion on highways and bridges • Tappan Zee Bridge and Thruway tolls frozen till 2020. Drivers who spend at least $50 annually on Thruway tolls can get tax credits equal to 50 percent of tolls paid • Proposed pardons for young offenders who don’t commit new crimes. • Proposed to add college courses in prison, end state ban on professional mixed martial arts bouts • Increase public school spending by $1 billion to $24.2 billion • Called for limits on lawmakers’ outside income. Lawmakers would not be able to earn more than 15% of their legislature salary through outside jobs. Michael Mulgrew of the United Federation of Teachers and State Senator Jeff Klein Senator Klein and Assemblyman David Weprin Senator Klein and Mark Sheinberg of the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association Senator Klein and Brooklyn Democratic Party Leader Frank Seddio Bethpage Credit Union President Wayne Grosse (right) with colleagues Linda Armyn and Robert Suarez Public Advocate Letitia James and Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry State Senator James Sanders, Malika Karteron and Philippa Karteron Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry and Frank Seddio Mayor de Blasio with developer Lester Petracca Mayor de Blasio with Assemblywoman Margaret Markey Frank Seddio with new State Senator Roxanne Persaud Todd Berman and guest Haeda Mihaltses with Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and manager Terry Collins Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright of Manhattan with Chancellor James Milliken and Jay Hershenson, CUNY vice chancellor


QC01142016
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