Hoping to convince recalcitrant Republican senators to vote for a 9/11 health aid bill, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in Washington on November 16 for meetings with them and the bill’s Democratic supporters.

The mayor and Democratic lawmakers from New York City are seeking to get the long sought $7.4 billion measure passed before the 2010 session ends next month because they would face long odds of winning passage next year when the Republicans will control the House and strengthen their hand in the Senate as a result of the recent midterm elections.

The bill, authored by Congressmembers Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, both Democrats from Manhattan, won passage of the bill in their House in September. Their legislation, the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, is named in honor of a NYPD detective who worked on the cleanup of Ground Zero after the 9/11 attack, and became ill and died as a result of his efforts there.

Hoping to convince recalcitrant Republican senators to vote for a 9/11 health aid bill, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in Washington on November 16 for meetings with them and the bill’s Democratic supporters. Gillibrand is the sponsor of the Senate 9/11 bill. Bloomberg met with several Republican senators yesterday trying to nail down at least two votes Democrats need to block a Republican filibuster that would block a vote on the bill. The minimum two GOP votes would give Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–Nevada) the 60 votes to block the GOP tactic and to pass the bill.

The mayor also participated in a press conference which included Maloney and Nadler and also Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, both from New York. Gillibrand is the sponsor of the Senate 9/11 bill.

Also at the news conference was Republican Congressmember Peter King from Long Island, who co-sponsored the House bill, and union leaders representing the police and firefighters’ organizations who responded to the attack and later took part in the WTC cleanup.

Bloomberg was facing strong opposition in lobbying for support of the Zadroga measure. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, from Kentucky, makes no effort to hide his anti-NYC feelings in opposing the 9/11 bill, even though many volunteers from outside the state volunteered their efforts to the Ground Zero cleanup and became sick as a result of it.

Washington sources reported McConnell’s opposition is the most serious impediment to passing the measure, according to published reports.

Gillibrand was said to be optimistic the bill will pass, despite McConnell’s strong objections. That is based on her reported discussions about the bill with many Republican senators.

Gillibrand was also quoted in one report as saying that Bloomberg and Republican lawmaker King “are a very important part of our strategy to secure Republican votes” for the 9/11 bill.

Maloney has worked tirelessly to get the bill passed. Last week, she was joined by Nadler and King in appealing to John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to develop autopsy guidelines that will help doctors to better understand the effects of 9/11 related illnesses and deaths.

Also last week, Maloney was present as P.C. Raymond Kelly opened a special installation at the NYC Police Museum in Lower Manhattan of the shields of the 29 officers who perished at the 9/11 attack site.

“It is fitting that this haunting reminder of the sacrifices made by so many NYPD heroes following the attacks will be displayed here in the…museum and later in the Senate building in Washington,” Maloney stated.

AVELLA BLASTS MAYOR’S SCHOOL CHANCELLOR PICK: In sharp contrast to the lawmaker’s support of the mayor’s effort to get the 9/11 health bill passed in Washington, hizzoner was blasted lustily by state Senator-elect Tony Avella when Bloomberg appointed a new schools chancellor to succeed Joel Klein, who is retiring.

In a letter to State Commissioner of Education David M. Steiner,

Avella asked that the mayor’s choice, publishing exec. Cathie Black, be denied a necessary waiver before the appointment could be finalized.

Hardly a week after Avella, of Bayside, pulled off the surprising defeat of powerful Republican Senator Frank Padavan to take the 11th district seat in Northeast Queens, the senator-elect urged Steiner to deny Black a waiver that would allow her to become the new chancellor.

“I firmly believe that the chancellor should be a person who understands how to develop curriculum, who understands the value of parental involvement, and who understands what principals, teachers and students go through on a daily basis,” Avella wrote.

“Ms. Black’s own admissions that she had no experience in union negotiations and sent her children to private schools further disqualifies her for this position.”

Brooklyn Republican Senator Martin Golden attributed Avella’s objections to his having had strong teacher’s union endorsement and support during this election campaign, but Avella dismissed this saying, “I haven’t even spoken to the UFT about this.”

Over the weekend teacher’s union President Michael Mulgrew weighed in with his own objection’s to the mayor’s appointment.

He accused the mayor of “abusing his authority” under the law.

Mulgrew is slated to meet with Black tomorrow. The mayor’s appointment was criticized by others because Black did not come from the education field, but has served, successfully, as head of the Hearst magazine empire. It’s expected she will get the waiver from Steiner.

SENATE RECOUNTS CONTINUING: The elections ended two weeks ago, but recounts are still going on to determine winners in several state senate races that will determine which party will have control of the state senate for the next two years.

In one of those recounts, in the 60th senate district covering the areas near the U.S.- Canadian border, Astoria’s Senator-elect Michael Gianaris has been in Buffalo observing the goings-on since about two days after the Nov. 2 election ended.

Gianaris, obviously, is pulling for the Democratic incumbent, Antoine Thompson, to pull out a victory. According to Monday’s N.Y. Times, he was trailing challenger Mark Grisant, a Republican, by 597 votes. The story quoted Gianaris as saying, “The old lever machines were far more reliable and faster in producing results than the optical scanners.”

In another close senate contest, the principals involved are incumbent Democratic Senator Craig Johnson of Port Washington and Republican challenger Mineola Mayor Jack Martins. By last Friday evening, Johnson was 246 votes in front, according to Monday’s issue of Newsday.

It’s anybody’s guess which way these recounts will go, and even after they’re completed, there may be court challenges to delay the outcomes further.

CUOMO PICKS RUDY FOR TRANSITION PANEL: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been chosen to serve on Gov.- elect Andrew Cuomo’s transition committee on public safety, along with New York City’s Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and former U.S. Attorney Zach Carter.

The trio of outstanding law enforcement talent will recruit, review and recommend candidates for top jobs in public safety state agencies.

PERALTA WARNS OF SCAMS SENDING PARCELS: Hispanic residents in Queens who try to help family members they left behind by sending packages home containing food, clothing or assorted other goods, are getting scammed by shipping companies they deal with, according to state Senator Jose Peralta (D–Corona).

“It’s a terrible scam that’s been happening for years,” Peralta said. “You pay the fees but your items never get there.”

Peralta said the shipping companies are regulated by the Federal Maritime Commission, which recently started to crack down on some of them.

Peralta is considering legislation that might help constituents that have been stung by the scammers. In the meantime, he advises the use of companies you know are trustworthy and always make sure you receive a receipt which you should hold on to.

MARK WEPRIN’S WARM SENDOFF TO PADAVAN: Councilmember Mark Weprin (D–Oakland Gardens) says Frank Padavan, who lost a re-election bid two weeks ago to Tony Avella, “has been my state senator for most of my life”.

He adds that during Padavan’s 38 years in the senate, he worked with him on behalf of the residents in Northeast Queens when Weprin was an assemblyman.

Weprin acknowledges he endorsed Avella because “Tony was right on important core issues, and he congratulates Tony on his victory.”

At the same time, Weprin concludes, “I would be remiss if I did not publicly thank Senator Frank Padavan for his long and distinguished service to the residents of Queens. I know that Frank Padavan will continue to play an important role in civic life in Queens, and I wish him and his family all the best.”

VALLONE: SETTLE COP LAWSUITS THE CHICAGO WAY: Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. (D–Astoria), chair of the Public Safety Committee, has long felt the NYPD settles suits against police officers far too quickly by making monetary settlements with the complainants.

The NYPD should change the policy to how they do it in Chicago, he advises, by “litigating instead of settling…” He says, according to the Chicago Sun Times newspaper, “This year, the city anticipates that 50 percent fewer police misconduct cases will be filed than in 2009.”

Vallone says he has introduced a bill calling on the Law Department to submit quarterly reports to the City Council detailing the number of and disposition of civil actions filed against the NYPD.

According to Vallone, by recording this data, the NYPD and the Law Department would have the necessary tools to examine claims and settlements, identify trends at specific precincts or with individual police officers and make assessments for potential policy reform.