Lafayette’s Bill Fights Auto Insurance Fraud
By John Toscano

Rampant fraud could be leading to huge car insurance increases for motorists in Queens and the rest of the city, but there’s no mad dash in the legislature to crack down on the swindlers behind the phony claims, except for Assemblymember Ivan Lafayette (D-Jackson Heights).

The veteran lawmaker has introduced a bill to increase criminal penalties against "runners," making their activities a felony. Runners are people who recruit accident victims into making phony claims in personal injury cases covered by no-fault insurance.

Lafayette, a leader in the Democratic Party’s majority in the Assembly, appears to be bucking the leadership with his bill. While the state Senate has passed the measure the bill bogged down in the Assembly.

There are two explantions given for the Democrats’ lukewarm attitude: they traditionally don’t like to increase criminal penalties and/or the state’s trial lawyers, big contributors, are against it.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the widespread fraud will drive up coverage for personal injury in Queens by almost 36 percent and the coverage for the assigned risk pool by 22 percent. If and when that’s announced, motorists’ anger might get some movement on Lafayette’s bill.

DECISION TIME: Queens Democratic Leader Thomas Manton said in a recent interview that he hasn’t decided who he will support between City Council Speaker Peter Vallone or Comptroller Alan Hevesi as the party’s nominee for mayor, whom to back for Borough President or whether to make official party choices in 14 crowded City Council races.

But the time for decision is approaching. The first date for circulating nominating petitions is June 5. However, the party designations must be made before then, usually around mid-May—only about six weeks away. So crunch time is almost at hand, and the horde of borough president and City Council candidates will soon be taking their first real steps toward becoming candidates—getting the signatures on nominating petitions that get a prospect on the ballot.

This is the crucial stage. Organization support is priceless. It means bodies to help get signatures and legal help to resist court challenges and perhaps get some opponents out of the race.

It’s a hard call for Manton. If he decides to take sides, it will mean a man-sized effort to help the anointed candidates and fight off the army of other contenders, many of them erstwhile party stalwarts. To stand aside and let the candidates fight it out means there’s a stronger possibility that independents will win seats, weakening the regular organization’s grip on some councilmembers and on the patronage available in both the council and at borough hall.

Manton has no easy task.

GIANARIS ANNOUNCES: Assemblymember Michael Gianaris (D–Astoria) is alerting his constituents that they now have the power to end those bothersome and unwanted telemarketing calls that can also rob one of one’s savings.

Registration in the new "Do Not Call Registry" barring telemarketers from calling individuals, began this past Sunday, Apr. 1 (no fooling).

"The ‘Do Not Call Registry’ finally gives New Yorkers the power to end unwanted calls from predatory telemarketers," Gianaris declared.

To sign up for the registry, Gianaris said, "Call the Consumer protection Board Helpline at 1-800-697-1220, or fill out the form online at www.consumer.state.ny. us/prereg.htm," or call Gianaris’ office at (718) 545-3889.

NEW ASSEMBLY WEBSITE: The improved Assembly website contains a new home page for each lawmaker where users can learn about legislation their Assembly representative is working on, Assemblymember Margaret Markey writes us.

"They can also find out what’s happening in their community," the Maspeth Democrat adds, "and access publications from their legislator, or view a map of their Assembly district."

Although improved, the website is at the same address as the original one—http//www.assembly.state.ny.us.

MALTESE HONORS CARDINAL: While newly designated Cardinal Edward Egan was in Albany attending the New York State Catholic Conference annual public policy forum, state Senator Serphin Maltese (R–C, Middle Village) was a prime sponsor of a senate resolution congratulating the Archbishop of New York on his being elevated to a cardinal.

"I am honored to be working closely with our new Cardinal to enact legislation that furthers and enhances traditional family values and morality," Maltese declared.

LOWEY TO ARAFAT: Responding to the tragic death of a 10-month-old girl in Hebron recently, Congressmember Nita Lowey (D–Westchester/Queens) urged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to commit himself to negotiation, not violence, as the only way to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Lowey condemned the ongoing terrorism and declared that only Arafat can take the steps necessary to eliminate terrorism "by making clear to his people that violence is a dead end in the path to peace and prosperity."

‘BUSH BASHES BEACHS’: President George W. Bush’s proposed budget slashes funding for replenishment of Rockaway and Long Island beaches by about 50 percent, Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D–Brooklyn/Queens) charged last week. Weiner said the Bush proposal would reverse the funding formula for maintaining beaches by requiring state and local governments to cover 65 percent of the cost and the federal government only 35 percent. This would reduce the federal portion to half of what it was last year, Weiner explained.

BAD NEWS FOR McCALL: The most recent Quinnipiac College poll showed that former HUD (Housing Urban Development) Secretary Andrew Cuomo is ahead of state Comptroller Carl McCall in the race for next year’s Democratic nomination for governor.

The poll results, released last Wednesday, have Cuomo ahead 40 percent to 33 percent. The previous day, McCall’s longtime political consultant, David Axelrod, quit the comptroller’s campaign. Apparently McCall had not been able to make a decision on whether to use Axelrod’s services in next year’s campaign. One other bad note for McCall was the continuing stock market slide, which has taken a huge bite out of the state’s pension funds which are controlled by McCall. The decline will probably be campaign fodder for Cuomo.

On the city level, a similar slide by the city’s pension funds, which are controlled by Comptroller Alan Hevesi, will likely be used against him in the Democratic mayoral campaign. In recent years, while the pension funds were burgeoning as the stock markets skyrocketed, lifting the funds’ assets, both comptrollers took the credit for the funds’ performances.