I On Politics

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's two most bothersome issues of the moment—term limits extension and the Willets Point project— will collide during the next few days when both come up for what promise to be raucous public hearings at City Hall.

Tomorrow at 1 p.m., the first hearing on several term limits bills will start in the council chamber on the second floor of City Hall. Then on Friday, the term limits hearing will continue in the small committee room next to the chamber and the Willets Point hearing will be held in the council chamber.

The scheduling of the term limits hearing, like everything else associated with the controversial subject, has leveled some criticism at Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Opponents of the mayor's plan, which calls for a simple vote by the 51 councilmembers, argue that the public will have a hard time being heard at the hearings because public officials will be given priority in having their say and speakers from the public will be called afterwards. The Friday session, in particular, is blasted by opponents of the plan because it will be held in the smaller committee room, adding to everyone's discomfort.

On Friday, the crowds at City Hall will be huge as attendees at both of the controversial hearings descend upon the Hall. For instance, the Queens Chamber of Commerce alone, which favors the Willets plan, will bring a busload of its members to the hearing—the only one to be held. Opponents of the Willets plan will probably also come in droves to the session.

Besides the scheduling of the public hearings, the mayor's staffers will be forced to operate at a hectic pace as they try to line up votes for both the term limits and Willets Point propositions. The mayor faces a hard sell on both issues, but it will be easier to find 26 councilmembers to vote for his term limits plan since there's something in it for the lawmakers—another four-year term.

However, many councilmembers have given their pledge to Councilmember Hiram Monserrate (D- Corona) to vote against the Willets Point project, so it may be a tougher task to get the 26 votes to pass the development plan.

SCHUMER STUMPS FOR ADDABBO: United States Senator Charles Schumer, a forceful and energetic campaigner, will be in Queens, possibly today, to campaign for Councilmember Joseph Addabbo Jr. and possibly be the spark to give the Ozone Park/Howard Beach

Democratic lawmaker the impetus he needs to defeat state Senator Serphin Maltese in their neck-and-neck race on Election Day.

Recent polls show the Addabbo- Maltese contest a tossup that could go either way. Maltese had former Mayor Rudy Giuliani campaign with him recently and now Addabbo will get the benefit of a highly respected, big name pol campaigning alongside him.

The stakes are high in this contest since the winner might decide which party will have the majority in the state senate. The Republicans have ruled there for almost half a century, but the Democrats have gradually reduced the GOP majority to just two senators and they are eager to take the few additional seats that would give them complete control in Albany.

CLINTON, CROWLEY HEAD DEMS' PRE-ELECTION BASH: A packed ballroom is expected next Thursday evening when Queens Democratic Leader, Congressmember Joseph Crowley, and U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton are the headliners for the county organization's Pre-Election Presidential Election Cocktail Party at Antun's in Queens Village.

Clinton can be expected to fire up the party faithful to get out the vote for presidential candidate Barack Obama and his running mate, Senator Joe Biden.

But equally important would be Crowley's exhorting the crowd to head for the polls on Election Day on November 4 to vote for the party's two hopefuls for the state senate—Joseph Addabbo Jr. and James Gennaro.

The two, currently councilmembers, are facing off against Republican incumbent Senators Serphin Maltese and Frank Padavan in two of the most crucial elections in this borough in many years.

Republican County Leader Phil Ragusa has also promised an all-out effort to get the Queens GOP's only state legislators reelected to boost his party's chances of holding on to majority control of the senate.

Ragusa is also fielding several candidate challenges against Democratic incumbent assemblymembers and senators, and all face uphill battles, as do the top-of-the-ticket duo, Senator John McCain and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Crowley is sure to put Addabbo and Gennaro in the spotlight at the Pre- Election party rally to remind the rank and file at the $300-a-ticket affair to give them a maximum effort on election day. Dinner co-chairs for the event are Francisco Moya and state Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, who'll also be facing a challenge from Republican Peter Koo, of Flushing, who operates a chain of pharmacies.

ENDORSEMENTS: Gennaro, who chairs the council Environmental Protection Committee, and Padavan, one of the leading environmentalists in the senate, were both endorsed last week by the New York League of Conservation Voters, the political voice for the New York state environmental community.

The group also endorsed Addabbo and Stavisky, as well as Crowley and Congressmember Gary Ackerman, who are also up for re-election, and Assemblymember Mark Weprin (D- Little Neck). In all, the League endorsed 66 candidates from both major parties.

Gennaro (D- Fresh Meadows) last week also received an endorsement from the United Auto Workers, which besides workers in the auto industry, includes legal services and legal aid attorneys, administrative and technical office professionals, car salespeople and university adjuncts and teaching assistants.

WEINER GETS "A" FROM VETS GROUP: The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America has issued Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D- Queens/Brooklyn) an "A" score based on 13 votes during the present session on issues such as veterans' health care, the GI bill, mental health and homeless veterans' support. Weiner co-sponsored the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which made college affordable to troops returning from the two war theaters and benefits 8,500 veterans. He also co-sponsored a bill to grant pay bonuses to soldiers wounded in action.

KNOCKS MAYOR ON TERM LIMITS GAMBIT: Bryan Rivera, a 2009 City Council candidate from Northeast Queens, criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg for proposing to extend term limits so he could run for a third term. Rivera said, "People who hold public office are not irreplaceable and should not run for public office to advance one's own personal agenda." Rivera said changes in term limits should be made only by a public referendum.

SEEKS ALDERTON STREET TRAFFIC CHANGE: Mel Gagarin, an announced candidate for the 29th city council district seat in 2009, has circulated a petition advocating speeding controls for cars traveling on Alderton Street in Rego Park, citing resident complaints. Gagarin is a former member of Congressmember Anthony Weiner's staff.

ENTERS 2009 RACE: Heidi Harrison Chain has announced her candidacy for the 29th city council district (Forest Hills/Rego Park) seat in the 2009 election.

MEET THE CANDIDATES: Office seekers in the Bayside area will be showcased by the Bay Terrace Community Alliance at a candidates' night on Thursday, October 23 at 7 p.m. at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center, 13-00 209th St. at the Cross Island Parkway in Bay Terrace.