A Weekly Roundup of Pols Press Clips, Releases & Proclamations

by Dave Zornow

The week was filled with news about schools, taxes, scandals and snow (again). Here’s hoping that Spring is only six weeks away — which probably fixes only one item on that list.

• Redistricting: Lines Are Being Drawn in Rockland re: redistricting. Rockland’s County Legislature holds a hearing in Orangetown on Mon Feb 28 (7:30p, Orangetown Town Hall). The Wonkster column in GothamGazette says that current district lines over-represent Republicans defying the “one-man, one-vote” principal. The Journal News also opined on the process and the importance of public input.
• Schools Face Budget Cuts, Public Favors a 2% Tax Cap: Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee hosted students and parents at her district office on Thursday to discuss the $20 million in funding Rockland County schools will lose if the Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget plans are implemented. A Siena College poll this week said that more than eight out of ten voters favor the governor’s 2% tax cap plan.
• CityHall.com reported that Senate Democrats spent almost $30,000 to block an investigation into the AEG racetrack/casino scandal. “It’s deeply disturbing to read of the use of taxpayer funds by the Senate Democratic Leader’s office to thwart the investigation into potential wrong doing in the AEG scandal,” said Rockland’s NYS Senator David Carlucci. The NYS Inspector General has accused Democratic Minority Leader John Sampson and Senators Malcolm Smith and Eric Adams of acting improperly to help AEG (Aqueduct Entertainment Group) win a multi-billion dollar bid to run a casino at the Aqueduct racetrack.
• On Thursday, Nyack’s VB approved a new law that puts teeth in the village’s snow removal rules, requiring property owners to clear a three-foot path or face a $100 fine for the first offense and $250 for each additional infraction over the next 12 months.
• Spring Fever in the IDC: The Albany Times-Union Capitol Confidential blog says that two of David Carlucci’s buds in the Independent Democratic Caucus might be making the most of the expression “politics makes strange bedfellows.”  Correspondent Jimmy Vielkind writes “Senators Diane Savino and Jeff Klein are, in fact, a romantic couple” meaning that 50 percent of that caucus is dating. The NY Post has dubbed the pair ‘Klavino.’ Vielkind says, “To me, this portends only one thing: David Valesky and David Carlucci will soon begin dating. Never mind Carlucci just got married, it was clearly meant to be. They even have the same first name.”