Congestion Pricing Giving Many Pols Indigestion

Congestion pricing, one of the most contentious issues to hit this town in a long time is stirring up the political establishment, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other state and city officials, the state legislature and the City Council as it moves toward an April deadline to win passage and collect a $354.5 million federal grant.

Both the state legislature and city council must pass congestion pricing in the next 10 days, and there's no way of telling which way it will go, despite the fact that the mayor has such heavy hitters as Governor David Paterson and state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Council Speaker Christine Quinn on his side.

Opposing the plan, which will charge motorists $8 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street to cut congestion and raise about $400 million for mass transit, are Comptroller William Thompson Jr., Council Finance Committee Chairman David Weprin and Congressmember Anthony Weiner, among many others.

By far the most powerful pol still straddling the fence on the issue, and one who can kill it very easily, is Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

The Manhattan Democrat, who several years ago ended the mayor's grandiose plans of building the New York Jets a new stadium in Mid- Manhattan, says he doesn't have the votes to pass it, which is ludicrous since Silver can get anything he wants passed.

But that's getting ahead of the story because the plan must also get passed by the city council before it goes up to Albany. However, Quinn, who's working with an even bigger Democratic majority than Silver, may not be able to get it approved by the 51-member council.

Quinn needs a minimum of 26 votes to pass the measure, but Weprin, who has been the most vocal opponent of the congestion plan thus far, has most of his Queens council colleagues on his side because the plan does nothing for the borough but add to motorists' already considerable headaches.

The usual harmony among council Democrats fell victim to the controversy over the mayor's plan. The first hearing on the bill on Monday was supposed to be conducted by Weprin's Finance Committee, but Quinn interceded and instead held the hearing before the Transportation Committee, headed by another Queens lawmaker, Councilmember John Liu (D- Flushing). Liu favors the mayor's plan.

At the hearing, Liu voiced some concern about that part of the plan which would hand over the estimated $400 million a year that would be raised to the MTA to carry out the intended mass transit improvements.

Liu, who regularly clashes with the transit agency, explained that most people appreciate the need for the congestion pricing plan. "The big problem here is that they don't trust the MTA or even city government to use the revenues in the way that's been promised," he said.

Actually, distrust of the MTA among many councilmembers is one reason why Quinn is having problems nailing down the votes she needs to get the plan passed.

Bloomberg has also been testy with some opponents. At a recent forum on his proposal, Weiner warned that the feds would reduce transit funding for New York if the city generated its own funds under congestion pricing, to which the mayor responded, "That is one of the stupider things I've ever heard said."

COMO TO RUN FOR GALLAGHER'S SEAT: We don't know whether Councilmember Dennis Gallagher has resigned his 30th City Council District seat yet, as ordered under the plea agreement he worked out with the Queens DA's office, but there's already a hat in the ring for the special election that will be held to replace the Middle Village lawmaker.

The early bidder for the seat, the only Republican council post in the borough, is Anthony Como, who presently serves as chief counsel to state Senator Serphin Maltese, a veteran Republican lawmaker from Middle Village.

Como, an attorney, also serves as the Queens Commissioner of the city Board of Elections.

Maltese endorsed Como to replace Gallagher, pointing out that he has been "an active presence in every part of the council district", which includes Middle Village, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Glendale, Forest Hills, Woodhaven and Richmond Hill.

"Anthony has been active in the district over the past 10 years and he has earned the trust and respect of community leaders and activists throughout Queens," Maltese stated.

Como's campaign will have its official launching this Saturday at 1 p.m. at a storefront located at 71-20 Myrtle Ave. in Glendale.

DEM RACE FOR SE QUEENS POST? There are reports that Joan Flowers, who has served as Governor David Paterson's campaign treasurer in the past, and Ruben Wills are eyeing the seat that will be vacated by Councilmember Leroy Comrie at the end of 2009. It sets up a possible Democratic primary for the post.

Wills is currently chief of staff for state Senator Shirley Huntley (D- Springfield Gardens). He also served as a volunteer staffer for Comrie.

Flowers, meanwhile, has also served as campaign treasurer for Congressmember Gregory Meeks and state Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith, both major players in the Southeast Queens political field.

OTHER WEPRIN ADVANCES: Assemblymember Mark Weprin (D- Little Neck), brother of Councilmember David Weprin, has been appointed by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to serve on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful panel in the Assembly.

Ways & Means is responsible for reviewing and acting on all expenditures that require Assembly approval. More importantly, the committee oversees the formation of the annual state budget.

Councilmember David Weprin, who has been Finance Committee chairman for the past six years, plays the same role in formulating the city budget.

MAYERSOHN CALLS FOR OUSTER: Assemblymember Nettie Mayersohn has called for the removal of an appointed state senate staffer who also serves as legislative council to an organization which has allegedly threatened her life because they disagree with her legislation to aid and protect AIDS victims.

The man in question is Michael Kink, who was appointed senate Minority Director of Policy and Special Counsel. Kink also has served for the past 13 years as the legislative counsel for Housing Works, which Mayersohn described as a government funded group that "strives to ensure that homeless and low income people living with HIV/AIDS and their families have adequate housing, food, social support, drug treatment, health care and employment".

Mayersohn said that the group has consistently opposed legislation by Mayersohn that was successful in helping to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, such as the Baby AIDS Law, Partner Notification and the HIV Rape Law.

In response to her legislation, which has won her widespread praise and respect, Mayersohn (D- Flushing) says Housing Works has labeled her "vicious" and "infamous".

Protesters from the group have demonstrated outside her home in the middle of the night and trashed her office in Albany.

"But their hateful rhetoric took a dangerous turn last year," said the lawmaker. While lobbying in opposition to her HIV Rape Bill, which allows rape victims to know the HIV status of the rapist upon indictment, members and volunteers organized by Michael Kink and Housing Works displayed a poster showing Mayersohn and Governor Spitzer with bulls-eyes over their faces, Mayersohn said.

Mayersohn declared, "I am inured to the personal attacks by Housing Works, but I am outraged that the man charged with designing such a dangerous and hateful campaign has been appointed by the senate Minority as policy adviser to the senate Democrats. I have, therefore, asked my colleagues in the legislature to call [Senator] Malcolm Smith, the senate Minority Leader, and urge that he withdraw his support for Michael Kink as policy adviser and Special Counsel to the Democratic senate Minority."