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Vol. 1, No. 6 www.cityandstateny.com February 21, 2012
The average New York City
restaurant inspection would earn a B
but most get an A. Page 4
Roosevelt Island welcomesand
braces forits newest resident. Page 6
What is the cost of the
Indian Point nuclear plant?
It depends. Page 14
Rory Lancman explains why
hes not David Weprin. Page 19
J
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After gay marriage,
a transformative coalition
splinters into just another
interest group
P
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www.cityandstateny.com 2 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
With a few notable exceptions, politicians like to be liked. They
draw district lines to insulate themselves from swings in the public
moodbut they still crave approval.
In New York, theyre nally starting to get that
approval. And theyll do whatever they can to keep it.
The Quinnipiac University poll released last
week showed New Yorkers are slowly regaining
faith in their state Legislature, giving rising job
approval ratings to lawmakers once known only
for dysfunction.
Granted, its not much: 29 percent of New Yorkers
now approve of how the Legislature is
handling its job, up from 15 percent in
September 2010. At this rate, theyll soon
break their record high of 34 percent from April 2007.
In any other context, having the approval of just one out
of three voters would be abysmal. In New York, its progress.
Which explains why New York lawmakers are lining up
to give Gov. Andrew Cuomo more and more of their power:
voters seem to like it. After 14 months of wrangling Albany
into line and forcing his priorities through, the governor now
has a record-high 69 percent job approval rating.
Lawmakers like to be liked. If Cuomo has gured out the
formula for popularity, theyll gladly drink a spoonful every
morning, even if parts would otherwise be hard to swallow.
The governor and his surrogates have barnstormed
the state, promoting his new budget as a voter-friendly
exercise in reformno new taxes, no new borrowing, no
scal gimmicks, difcult but necessary cuts.
Yet those reforms include measures that legisla-
tors would have surely rejected in the past. Cuomo put
language in his budget that would remove outside scru-
tiny of many administration contracts, allow nonelected
public authorities to transfer money without legislative approval
and give the governor authority to move funds between agencies
without the Assembly and Senate getting involved.
New Yorks legislators have grumbled, but thats about it.
Sure, lawmakers like power and perks and campaign donations.
They wouldnt work so hard to stay in ofce if they didnt. But behind
the calculating eyes of the average politician is a man or a woman
trying to ll a much more human desire.
They want to be liked. Cuomo knows it. He wants to be liked, too.
He just hides it better than anyone else in Albany.
alisberg@cityandstateny.com
EDITORIAL
Editor: Adam Lisberg
alisberg@cityandstateny.com
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ahawkins@cityandstateny.com
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UPFRONT
Adam Lisberg
EDITOR
AROUND NEW YORK
The best items from the City & State First Read morning email
City & State First Read delivers every days headlines, schedules, birthdays and
Heard Around Town news nuggets like these into your inbox before 7 a.m. Not getting
City & State First Read? Sign up free at www.cityandstateny.com/rst-read.
BRONX
Adolfo Carrin Jr., the former Bronx borough president,
may run for Congress if a new Latino-majority district is cre-
ated in New York City, according to a Democratic source. I
think the redistricting exercise, if done properly, will result in
a district where a Latino candidate
can run a very strong and compel-
ling campaign, Carrin wrote in
an email. In the end, what will be
important is who will be the strongest and most
effective voice for a new urban district, one that
represents the fastest-growing sector of the
American electorate. There are several
highly qualied individuals that can do
that, and theyll have to make their case
to the voters in due time. State Sen.
Adriano Espaillat is already itching to run for the potential seat, which com-
munity leaders say would encompass northern Manhattan, the west Bronx,
and Corona and Jackson Heights in Queens. Espaillat, who is Dominican-
American, could have an advantage, since the district is expected to be large-
ly Dominican. But Carrin, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is ush with cash
from past campaigns and has almost $1.1 million in a campaign account.
BROOKLYN
Brooklyn Councilman Erik Martin
Dilan said hes actively consider-
ing a Democratic primary chal-
lenge to Rep. Nydia Velzquez. Im
considering all my options for the
future, in the public and private sec-
tor, he said, though he declined to
give his reasons for challenging a
19-year incumbent. Well be developing and laying
out a public rationale in time. But right now, Im in
the early stages. Dilan has close ties to Brooklyn
Democratic boss Vito Lopez, who is antagonistic
to Velzquez and other self-styled reformers in the
borough. Assemblyman Rafael Espinal, who was
once Dilans chief of staff, said his own victory in a
special election last year set the stage for Dilan to
have a 75 percent chance of winning this race.
ALBANY
A top Assembly Democrat mocked
Gov. Andrew Cuomos antiforeclo-
sure efforts in a radio interview,
arguing that a van sent by the new
Department of Financial Services
to distribute information about loan
modications would do little to stem
the tide of home foreclosures in the
state. The governor said he was establishing a unit
to deal with foreclosure, but all that Ive seen from
that unit has been a van, Assemblywoman Helene
Weinstein, who chairs the Judiciary Committee,
said in an interview with The Capitol Pressrooms
Susan Arbetter. DFS Superintendent Ben Lawsky
announced the Departments mobile command unit
would travel the state in the coming weeks in an effort
to stem mortgage foreclosures by helping home-
owners at risk of losing their homes. But Weinstein
said the states distressed homeowners need more
resources like legal services, not a van tour.
MANHATTAN
While City Council Speaker Christine Quinn talked about mandatory kindergarten
and child care assistance at her State of the City address in City Hall, a group of pro-
testers across the street rallied against a luxury condo development planned on the
site of the former St. Vincents Hospital. The Coalition for a New Village Hospital is
advocating for a new hospital in place of St. Vincents, but the protest can also be seen
as a potential opening shot in the race to replace Quinn in the 3rd Council district.
One of its leaders, Yetta Kurland, a civil rights lawyer and LGBT activist, is rumored to
be planning a run for the seat, after losing in a primary against Quinn in 2009.
THE PRICE OF APPROVAL
BY THE NUMBERS
0
$0.5
$1.0
$1.5
$2.0
$2.5
$3.0
$3.5
$4.0
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016
$3,516
$3,721
$3,394
$2,974
$3,040
$0 $0
$715
Source: New York State Division of the Budget, New York City Office of Management and Budget
WATCH THE GAP
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B
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NYC
NYS
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
both proposed balanced
budgets for the next scal
yearbut after that, the
gap between revenues and
expenses keeps growing
Joey Carolino
www.cityandstateny.com
CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 3
GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT ON
EVALUATION GUIDELINES THAT WILL MAKE NEW YORK
STATE A NATIONAL LEADER ON TEACHER ACCOUNTABILITY
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Education Commis-
sioner John King, and New York State United Teachers President
Richard C. Iannuzzi today announced a groundbreaking agree-
ment on a new statewide evaluation system that will make New
York State a national leader in holding teachers accountable for
student achievement.
The agreement gives signif cant guidance to local school districts
for the implementation of a teacher evaluation system that is
based on multiple measures of performance including student
achievement and rigorous classroom observations. The agree-
ment follows through on the states commitment to put in place a
real and effective teacher evaluation system as a condition of the
$700 million granted through the federal Race to the Top program.
Todays agreement puts in place a groundbreaking new statewide
teacher evaluation system that will put students f rst and make
New York a national leader in holding teachers accountable for
student achievement, Governor Cuomo said. This agreement is
exactly what is needed to transform our states public education
system, and I am pleased that by working together and putting
the needs of students ahead of politics we were able to reach this
agreement.
SPEAKER SILVER STATEMENT ON STATEWIDE
TEACHER EVALUATION COMPROMISE
Todays announcement ref ects a successful compromise by
all parties involved and allows us to move forward in making our
schools the best they can be. The original intent of the 2010 law
that led to New Yorks Race to the Top award can now be fulf lled.
I remain hopeful that we can avoid schools closures in New
York City, which continues to be a bargaining issue between the
Mayor and the United Federation of Teachers, since overcrowding
is already a chronic problem in our public school system.
TODAYS AGREEMENT ON EVALUATION APPEALS
PROCESS IN ALBANY
With todays announcement, weve only resolved the issue of
appeals for teacher ratings. We do not have a systemwide teacher
evaluation agreement in place for New York City.
We asked the governor to get involved a month ago because it
was clear that we would never get to an agreement on the appeals
process with the Department of Education. We would not have
this agreement today if not for the governors intervention.
Despite the fact that the mayor said he would never agree to a
third-party appeals process, we have that in this agreement. And
despite the fact that the mayor said he would never agree to an
independent validator with the discretion to agree or disagree on
principals decisions, this agreement provides for that, too.
Once again the UFT is proving that it is willing to work to make
the teaching process better. The mayor still doesnt get it that
to achieve real education reform, its about helping schools get
better, not closing them. We hope that the mayor ends his obses-
sion with closing schools and disrespecting teachers because it is
a signif cant barrier to our getting to an overall evaluation agree-
ment, much less a School Improvement Grant agreement.
MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR WALCOTT UPDATE NEW YORKERS ON TEACHER EVALUA-
TION AGREEMENT
Below are Mayor Michael R. Bloombergs remarks as delivered today at City Hall.
I do want to thank, in particular, the Governor and his staff for
their leadership on this issue, as well as a special thank you to State Education Commissioner John King and Merryl Tisch, the Chancellor of the State Board of Regents, who really were very instrumental in this process. And also UFT President Michael Mulgrew.
And second: While there are still issues that the City and UFT will be discussing in order to f nalize an evaluation system, this resolves the lions share of the most diff cult issues. And the details remain to be worked out by staffs, but keep in mind, the UFT and the City are always talking and there are always things that we are coming to agreements on.
UPFRONT
THE FOOTNOTE: Real press releases, annotated
Sent between 12:40 p.m. and 3:24 p.m., Feb. 16, 2012, from the press shops of
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the State Education Department, Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the United Federation of Teachers.
Andrew J. Hawkins
ahawkins@cityandstateny.com
CHANCELLOR TISCH AND COMMISSIONER KING
PRAISE EVALUATION AGREEMENT
Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch and State Educa-
tion Commissioner John B. King, Jr. said today the newly agreed
upon teacher and principal evaluation system was made possible
by a collaborative willingness to implement a process that will help
improve student performance. The two education leaders praised
Governor Cuomos leadership in driving a resolution to the compli-
cated negotiations. King said the new system will protect more
than $2.5 billion in federal Race to the Top funds and other educa-
tion funds over two years, and, more importantly, help improve
student performance.
"This agreement is a signif cant improvement over the evalua-
tion law passed in 2010, Chancellor Tisch said. But our work is
by no means over. The Regents have adopted a major education
reform plan, and teacher and principal evaluations are just a part
of that reform. Today is a good day, but the best day will be when
weve fully implemented the Regents reforms and weve made
sure all our students get the education they need to succeed in
college and careers.
The states new teacher evaluation sys-
tem is hailed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as
groundbreaking, and by Mayor Michael
Bloomberg as historic. But the United
Federation of Teachers made sure to note
that the deal did not include an agreement
for a citywide evaluation system. Transla-
tion: The union and the city were still at an
impasse. Bloomberg said that while de-
tails remain to be worked out, the UFT
made it seem like they were much further
away from a nal agreement. Cuomo has
said the toxic relationship between the
mayor and the UFT demanded his admin-
istration get involved in scratching out
a deal. All sides praised the governors
intervention.
Bloomberg mentions UFT President
Michael Mulgrew just once in his state-
ment, while the UFT press release goes
out of its way to list all of the things they
hate about the mayors education poli-
cies. Bloomberg says all nal evaluation
appeals decisions ultimately rest with
him, while the UFT argues it has provi-
sions for a third-party appeals process
for poor ratings in the agreement. These
disagreements will remain a sticking
point while the city and the union attempt
to hammer out a deal before the next
deadline, January 2013.
While Cuomo says the agreement is exactly
whats needed to transform the states
public education systema major goal he
outlined in his State of the State address
in JanuaryBoard of Regents Chancel-
lor Merryl Tisch made sure to note that the
negotiations were far from over. Tisch is
sympathetic to Bloombergs concerns on
teacher evaluations but often displays an
independent streak, which some think may
signal her interest in running for mayor. She
notes in her statement that the Board of
Regents is still in the process of rolling
out its multiplatform reform effort, which
includes harder tests and a common core
curriculum.
Bloomberg has shut down dozens of
schools during his term in ofce, reopen-
ing many of them as smaller schools
or charters. The UFT and many local
ofcials denounce these efforts, arguing
that school closings lead to community
strife and the warehousing of high-needs
students. Assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver, an ally of teachers unions, says
he hopes the evaluation deal will lead to
abeyance of the citys closure policies, but
Bloomberg has said repeatedly that failing
schools often need to be closed in order
to be rehabilitated. Several of Bloom-
bergs potential successors have come out
strongly against school closures.
THE SCOPE
BLOOMBERG VS. MULGREW
CAUTION
SCHOOL CLOSINGS
www.cityandstateny.com 4 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT:
P
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The average New York City restaurant inspection would result in a B
34
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
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9
8
7
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5
4
3
2
1
0
AVERAGE NEW YORK CITY RESTAURANT INSPECTION SCORES
2011 2010
18.2
19
20
17.6
18.9
18.6
19.2
17.3
16.7
18.5
22.6
21.3
20
20.3
21.1
20
21.3
19.9
21.6
20.7
21.2
21.9
20.6
20.7
A
B
C
AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEP. OCT. NOV. DEC.
18.6
J
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The average score has
been solidly in the B
rangefrom a low of 16.7
points in January 2011 to a
high of 22.6 in April.
By ELIZA RONALDS-HANNON
A
year and a half into New York
Citys experiment in giving
restaurants letter grades for their
health inspections, the Health Department
is pleased to report that 77 percent of
restaurants now boast a shiny blue A in
their front window.
But some of those restaurants only earned
their As after appealing earlier inspections
that would have garnered Bs or Cs.
In fact, the average restaurant inspec-
tion results in a score that would earn a
solid B grade, a City & State review of
half a million Health Department records
showsand the average restaurant score
is getting worse.
Restaurant advocates say the wors-
ening scores indicate city inspectors are
grading more strictly. Indeed, annual
revenue from nes grew by almost $10
million between 2010 and 2011, as restau-
rants were inspected more frequently.
Its arbitrary, said Rob Bookman,
counsel for the New York Nightlife Asso-
ciation. It has been since they developed
the point system years ago, and the letter
grades add insult to injury.
The Health Department would not
comment on City & States ndings because
it does not calculate average scores, said
spokeswoman Chanel Caraway, but she said
the departments only focus is public health.
The overarching goal of the restau-
rant letter-grading system is transparency
and food safety, not revenue or nes, she
said. It is not meant to be punitive.
When Health Department inspectors
visit a city restaurant, they mark points
www.cityandstateny.com
CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 5
P
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J
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C
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Repeat Inspections Let Most City Restaurants Earn As
Adam Lisberg
5.4
5.9
6.2
6.4
6.4
6.5
6.9
7.1
7.6
7.7
7.7
7.8
7.9
7.9
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.6
8.8
8.8
8.8
8.9
9.1
9.3
9.4
9.4
9.6
9.7
9.7
9.8
9.9
9.9
10.0
10.0
10.1
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.3
10.3
10.4
10.6
10.7
10.8
11.0
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.9
12.4
12.9
14.7
Hot dogs
Ice Cream, Gelato, Yogurt, Ices
Barbecue
Juice, Smoothies, Fruit Salads
Tapas
Donuts
Sandwiches
Brazilian
English
Eastern European
Not Listed/Not Applicable
Irish
Other
Caf/Coffee/Tea
American
Middle Eastern
Mediterranean
Hamburgers
French
Sandwiches/Salads/Mixed Buffet
Pizza
Russian
Armenian
Steak
Continental
Pakistani
Vegetarian
Italian
Bagels/Pretzels
Soul Food
Chicken
Japanese
Bakery
Mexican
Seafood
Pizza/Italian
Creole
Soups & Sandwiches
Greek
Vietnamese/Cambodian/Malaysian
Tex-Mex
Asian
Delicatessen
Spanish
Chinese/Japanese
Caribbean
Korean
Turkish
African
Chinese
Indian
Latin (Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican, South & Central American)
Thai
Jewish/Kosher
Peruvian
Filipino
German
Polish
Bangladeshi
for all manner of violationsfrom two points for a minor problem like not properly sanitizing utensils,
to up to 10 points for public health hazards like raw sewage in the kitchen.
The more points a restaurant gets, the worse its grade. Anything up to 13 points earns an A, 14 to 27
points a B, and 28 points and above, a Cthat is, unless inspectors order an immediate shutdown.
Yet a restaurant with a score of 14 or above doesnt have to post a B or C right away.
Instead they post a grade pending sign while they try to clean up their act and prepare
for an automatic reinspectionand only that reinspection is graded.
Its a popular option: More than 12 percent of graded inspections generate grade
pending signs, City & State found. Many restaurants remedy their violations while
they appeal the initial grade, so when they nally do post a letter, its an A.
While the Health Department does not report an average score for the
city, it posted the entire set of inspection results on the nyc.gov website.
City & State downloaded the results and calculated the average for
every eight-day period since August 2010.
In that period, the average score has been solidly in the B range
from a low of 16.7 points in January 2011 to a high of 22.6 in April.
Yet the data show that the average score has slowly risen over the
past 18 months.
That conclusion resonates with many restaurant owners and their
advocates, who say the letter-grade system is bilking small businesses
out of thousands of dollars in nes, with little impact on health.
The letter-grade system increased nes even for restaurants
that receive As, said Andrew Rigie of the New York State Restau-
rant Association. It also increased the frequency of inspec-
tions, so restaurants arent only paying more in nes but also
spending more on sanitation consultants and on attorneys to
represent them.
The Health Department said it expects to see revenue from
nes plateau and decline as restaurants improve their
practices. It said two-thirds of all nes are levied against the
worst-performing 20 percent of restaurants, while the top
60 percent of restaurants pay only 8 percent of the nes.
In response to persistent complaints about the
process, the City Council last month solicited feedback
from restaurateurs through an online questionnaire that
collected over 1,000 surveys.
Any initiativeespecially 18 months after estab-
lishmentcalls for scrutiny, said Council Speaker
Christine Quinn.
Many of Quinns colleagues agree. It seems
like the main motivation of the city is to make
money by ning restaurants rather than working
with them to ensure consumer safety, Brooklyn
Councilman David Greeneld said at a town hall
meeting this month.
The Health Department, however,
has already dismissed the Councils actions.
Considering that the survey has no
method of conrming that a participant is
actually a restaurant, nor does it ensure
that an entrant lls out only one submis-
sion, the resultsgood or badwill
have negligible value, Caraway said.
editor@cityandstateny.com
Which Cuisine Is
The Cleanest?
The Health Department classies all
New York City restaurants according
to what they selland some of
those cuisines rack up far more
average violations than others. This
graphic ranks the average number
of violationsnot their inspection
scoreby type of cuisine.
www.cityandstateny.com 6 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
ISLAND IN THE STREAM
With agging retail and limited transportation, Roosevelt Island has high hopes for coming tech campus
By ANDREW J. HAWKINS
B
y the end of next year, the
outlines for the citys much-touted
high-tech campus will begin to
appear on Roosevelt Island, a two-mile-
long spit of land in the middle of the East
River.
But before that can happen, the two
institutes building the schoolCornell
University and the Technion-Israel Insti-
tute of Technologywill need to build
a curriculum, hire faculty, begin classes
in temporary locations elsewhere and,
perhaps most important, attempt to estab-
lish a relationship with residents of the
so-called small town of Roosevelt Island.
Toward that end, Cornell ofcials are
planning an April town hall meeting to
present local residents their vision for the
future. That vision is lled with sloped,
glittery buildings, thousands of friendly
geek neighbors, maybe the occasional
river ferry and a less isolated community
better integrated into the rest of New York.
Cathy Dove, newly named vice presi-
dent of the tech campus and current asso-
ciate dean of Cornells College of Engi-
neering, said there was no time like the
present to begin that process.
Youre talking to the newest community
member, said Dove, who just moved to the
Riverwalk building at the islands southern
endthough at rst she mistakenly referred
to her new home as Rivergate.
Dan Huttenlocher, the tech schools
new dean, said community outreach was
an essential piece of the entire $2 billion
development.
Community relations is extremely
important to us, Huttenlocher said. Its
something we view as part of our institu-
tional DNA.
Like all development projects big
and small, the tech campus will need
to traverse the citys land-use process,
where community board members and
local ofcials will vet the project and
determine its environmental impact.
Residents say they have many ques-
tions for Cornell and Technion, such
as how much money the institutes are
willing to spend to upgrade infrastruc-
ture and what they will do to help revi-
talize the islands agging retail sector.
Most residents are excited to welcome
their new neighbors but are wary about
how the campus will affect their self-
described small town community.
When the decision was made, it caught
a lot of us off guard, said Matthew Katz,
president of the Roosevelt Island Resi-
dents Association. Some people are very
enthusiastic. Some people are concerned
about how it will change the texture on
Roosevelt Island.
The island has one subway stop, one
road and one bridge (which, strangely
enough, leads to Queens, even though the
island is technically part of Manhattan).
Along Main Street, many stores are
boarded up, and those that are still open
fear going out of business. The only pizza
shop just closed, as did the sh store. The
islands sole senior center may be next on
the chopping block.
Against this backdrop of change and
excitement, a ministruggle between
some residents and the Roosevelt Island
Operating Corporation, which essentially
serves as the communitys local govern-
ment, has added a hint of drama.
RIOCs board is appointed by leaders
in Albany, based on recommendations
from island residents. Katz and others are
ghting for direct elections of the agen-
cys board of directors after one board
member was dismissed by the Cuomo
administration and replaced by a non-
island resident.
Katz hopes the new development and
the accompanying uptick in the islands
economy and population will pressure
RIOC and the governor to allow for a
more democratic system.
Were not getting any results, Katz
said. Im scared to death. Were desperate
for some control.
Leslie Torres, president of RIOC, said
the current law governing board appoint-
ments would need to change in order for
residents to directly elect those members.
The residents are vey active politi-
cally, Torres said. The law right now is
the governor appoints everybody.I think
the key is to have people from all walks on
the island represented on the board.
Assemblyman Micah Kellner is
carrying a bill that would change the
law, but for him the main concern is the
safe transfer of the 866 patients who
still reside in the 80-year-old Goldwater
Hospital, which will be torn down for the
new campus.
In July 2010, the citys Health and
Hospitals Corporation announced plans
to relocate some of its Goldwater staff
and patients from Roosevelt Island to the
former North General Hospital campus in
Harlem.
Gouverneur Healthcare Services in
Manhattan, McKinney Nursing and Reha-
bilitation Center in Brooklyn and Sea
View Hospital on Staten Island will also
serve as relocation destinations for the
patients and staff at Goldwater.
These are people who are Roosevelt
Islanders, just like everyone else on the
island, Kellner said. So thats the rst
step.
Another concern for Kellner is infra-
structure improvement. Right now, many
of the islands buildings use electrical
heating, which he says is expensive and
inefcient. Kellner says he hopes Cornell,
Technion and the city will spend some of
the promised $2 billion to upgrade the
islands power grid, as well as seek other
ways to integrate the campus into the rest
of the community.
Fernando Martinez, RIOCs vice presi-
dent for operations, said the islands
utilities, including its telecommunication
lines, will have to be upsized to accom-
modate the Cornell campus.
Even though the rst building on the
tech campus is not slated to open until
2017, change is already visible on Roos-
evelt Island. Last August, two real estate
companies, Hudson and Related, took
over much of the retail on Main Street.
The rms plan on building three addi-
tional buildings in addition to the six they
have already constructed.
David Kramer, principal at the Hudson
Companies, said that the tech campus
may be far off, but a new Roosevelt Island
is already beginning to shine through.
Roosevelt Island has always been a
blind spot for the city, Kramer said. To
the extent that the city is now talking
about the tech campus on Roosevelt
Island, it has a huge impact long before
the campus arrives. Theres more excite-
ment. It makes some people view the
neighborhood as more legitimate now
that Cornell is coming.
ahawkins@cityandstateny.com
Read more about the new engineering
school at www.cityandstateny.com.
Roosevelt Island has
always been a blind
spot for the city.
Jonathan Laventhol
RIOC President Leslie Torres, standing
in front of the soon-to-be-demolished
Goldwater Hospital, says the island is making
preparations for the new tech campus.
A
n
d
r
e
w

S
c
h
w
a
r
t
z
www.cityandstateny.com CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 7
S
tay plugged into New York
politics all day long with The
Notebook, the new political blog
from City & State. Led by political
writer Chris Bragg with contributions
from the entire City & State staff,
The Notebook is City & States new
online home for breaking news and
sharp analysis of the shifting sands of
campaigns and elections in New York.
ITS ALL IN
www.cityandstateny.com/thenotebook
www.cityandstateny.com 8 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
From Left to Right: Chloe Drew, Catherine Abate, Cecilia Clarke, Elsie McCabe Thompson,
Carmen Wong-Ulrich and Suri Kasirer.
Carmen Wong-Ulrich, Former Host of MSNBC
On the Money and award winning journalist.
Beth Wenstrom of the Julliard School
performs during the reception.
Honoree Jacqueline Williams poses with her award. Honorees Chung Wha-Hong and Linda Sarsour.
Above and Beyond honoree and winner of the 2011
Chairmans award, Carolyn Ryan of the New York Times.
Chloe Drew, E.D. of Council of Urban
Professionals, moderated a lively
discussion in Pace Universitys
Schimmel theatre prior to the reception.
Heather Beaudoin, an honoree in the category of
Organized Labor.
Suri Kasirer discussing womens role in
public and civic life.
The evenings emcee and President of Hunter
College, Jennifer Raab applauds the 25 honorees.
NBC New York government affairs reporter and honoree in the
category of Media & Journalism, Melissa Russo.
Con Edisons Frances Resheske graciously accepts her award for
Business Leadership.
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce President
Nancy Ploeger receives a standing ovation.
On Feb. 8, 2012, hundreds of guests gathered at Pace University to hear a panel discussion and celebrate City & States rst
Above and Beyond event for women of public and civic mind. Carolyn Ryan, Metro editor of the New York Times, was recognized with
the chairmans award for her exemplary accomplishments. Here are some images that capture the spirit of the night.
www.cityandstateny.com
CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 9
New York AREAs membership includes some
of the states most vital business, labor and
community organizations including the New
York State AFL-CIO, Business Council of New
York State, Partnership for New York City, New
York Building Congress, National Federation of
Independent Business and many more.
WWW. A R E A - A L L I A N C E . OR G
Lessons
fromGreek
Mythology
By Heather Briccetti
In the story of Icarus, he is warned by his father master craftsman
Deadalus to not fly too close to the sun. Icarus, awestruck by the
sun, ignores the warning of his father and, as a result, falls into the
sea where he drowns.
Some have advocated New York State embrace an aggressive
solar mandate, but they, like Icarus, are over-ambitious. History
has provided us multiple examples that illustrate the folly of
overly aggressive energy mandates.
Just this month, The New York State Energy and Research
Development Authority (NYSERDA), in consultation with the
Public Service Commission (PSC), released a cost benefits study
of installing 2,500 MW of photovoltaic (PV) power by 2020,
and/or 5,000 MW by 2025.
The NYSERDA study confirms that a significant solar mandate will
cost the people of New York jobs and will increase rates. At a time
when New Yorkers are paying some of the highest energy costs in
the nation, the State does not need to adopt a mandate that could
increase the cost to consumers by as much as $15.2 billion.
New Jersey has paid a significant price to have the second most
installed PV. The Center for Energy, Economic and Environmental
Policy and the Rutgers Economic Advisory Service concluded that
the State program will cost 3,637 jobs and $451 million in State
GDP. The majority of the new solar employment is projected to go
away when the goal has been reached.
We need to remember that New York State already has an
aggressive goal of obtaining 30 percent of its electricity from
renewable sources by 2015. New York ratepayers have committed
to pay $3 billion to obtain this goal through the establishment of the
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). All forms of renewable
generation wind, solar, hydroelectric, biomass, tidal/ocean, and
fuel cell generation currently compete fairly for the RPS funds.
Rather than a newsolar mandate, the State should promote solar
deployment in a manner that is both flexible and responsive. Our
current suite of PVincentive policies has created a stable and growing
PVmarket in NewYork. By developing a comprehensive and steady
PVincentive funding strategy, NewYork has avoided the boomand
bust market cycles that have created uncertainty in other places.
There is little doubt that sun is a powerful energy source, drawing
many to become enraptured, but we should learn from Icarus and
adopt a more sensible course for the deployment of solar
technology in New York.
Heather Briccetti is the President & CEO of The Business Council of
New York State, Inc., a business advocacy organization representing
3,000 employers who employ more than one million New Yorkers
across the state.
S P E C I A L S P O N S O R E D S E C T I O N
Lawmakers want commissioner
who ordered psychiatric hospital
closure to resign
By MARC GRONICH
A
n outpouring of anger from Brooklyn
lawmakers may have stopped the planned
closure of a violence-plagued state psychiatric
center there, but the commissioner who ordered it shut is
still facing calls for his resignation.
Mental Health Commissioner
Michael Hogan came under attack last
week at a budget hearing where legis-
lators blamed him for poor patient
care and brutal conditions at the Kings-
boro Psychiatric Centerand said he
needed to x it, not shut it down.
Commissioner Hogan has failed
that institution and has failed the
state of New York, and I think he
should do the honorable thing and
resign as soon as possible, said
Sen. Kevin Parker. We need proper
leadership and, quite frankly, I dont
believe Commissioner Hogan is the
right one to provide that leadership.
Hogan said after the hearing that
Kingsboro wouldnt close after allbut struggled to say
exactly what would happen to it instead.
We dont really intend to close Kingsboro, Hogan
said, two weeks after his ofce published a formal notice
that it would do exactly that.
We intend to transform it from a primarily inpa-
tient model to more of a community model, to expand
housing options on the campus, to expand clinics, he
said. What we havent gured out yet is what the exact
mix of hospital care is, and community care, and how
much of that will be in Brooklyn and how much of that
will be on Staten Island.
Kingsboro is ineligible for Medicaid funds, after
repeatedly unking accreditation surveys. One survey
found two patients may have died from paperwork
mix-ups. Violence among patients and staff was routine,
and the average patient stayed there twice as long as at
other state hospitals.
A state panel appointed to assess Brooklyns health-
care system recommended in November that Kingsboro
be closed as part of a greater focus on community care
and behavioral health services.
Yet the Ofce of Mental Healths Jan. 31 announcement
that it would close Kingsboro and merge its operations
with the South Beach Psychiatric Center on Staten Island
angered other lawmakers, who said it would be cruel to
force staffers and patients families to pay a $13 toll or take
a two-and-a-half-hour ride on mass transit to get there.
We all know that going to Staten Island is like going to
another country, said Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley. I hate
to say it that way, but Sen. [Diane] Savino knows that. I have
a sister-in-law that lives there. I see her
twice a year or if someone dies.
The state has not specied what
will happen to the patients in the
290-bed Kingsboro center, or how
they and the 670 union employees
there would be split between South
Beach and outpatient community-
care centers in Brooklyn.
Savino, who represents parts of
Staten Island and Brooklyn, said
Hogans planned merger was really
a half-baked plan to get Kingsboro
out of the hospital business without
a rm grasp of what it would mean
for patients.
That is a very serious problem,
Commissioner Hogan, Savino
scolded him at the hearing. Im not happy to hear that you
havent thought out this process of where were going to put
beds or how were going to complete this closure of Kings-
boro and transfer to Staten Island. Its of great concern to
all of us. I believe that your agency is not serving the people
of either borough particularly well right now.
Hogans change in plans came after he and other
Cuomo administration ofcials met behind closed
doors with Brooklyn and Staten Island lawmakers the
day before the hearing. By the time he emerged, he was
ready to compromise.
Were going to have to adjust our plans, and weve
got to meet them halfway, Hogan said after the hearing.
That didnt impress Brooklyn Assemblywoman Inez
Barron.
If you were totally wrong, she said, midway is not
good enough.
editor@cityandstateny.com
Read more about hospital closings
at www.cityandstateny.com
We all know that
going to Staten
Island is like going
to another country.
I hate to say it that
way, but Senator
Savino knows that.
I have a sister-in-law
that lives there. I see
her twice a year or
if someone dies.
Staten Island Threat Keeps
Brooklyn Hospital Open
www.cityandstateny.com 10 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
After gay marriage, a transformative coalition
splinters into just another interest group
By LAURA NAHMIAS
Andrew Schwartz
www.cityandstateny.com
CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 11
The New York Affordable Reliable Electricity
Alliance (New York AREA) is a diverse group
of business, labor, environmental, and commu-
nity leaders working together for clean,
low-cost and reliable electricity solutions that
foster prosperity and jobs for the Empire State.
S P E C I A L S P O N S O R E D S E C T I O N
ABlueprint
for NewYork
Jobs
By Vincent Alvarez
Union workers are the backbone of our society and the middle
class. Our group the New York City Central Labor Council
brings together more than 300 local unions from the private and
public sector and we represent 1.3 million working New
Yorkers and their families. We are construction workers,
electricians, teachers, nurses, engineers, retail workers and more.
For many of these New Yorkers job security is paramount to
their existence and a lot of them are already suffering economic
hardships. If there were a hot button issue this election year it
would have to be the stability, future and survival of New
York's middle class.
Energy Factor:
Protecting and ensuring an ample supply of affordable, reliable
energy is one way to help working New Yorkers make it through
these challenging economic times. Its also vital that New York
keep its existing energy industry jobs, and create new ones
either by upgrading our aging infrastructure, or following through
with economic development plans for upstate communities, which
will in turn increase the demand for affordable electricity.
A recent study commissioned by the City of New York found
that energy availability and affordability may be one of the raw
nerves of our economy and the job creation we need.
The loss of locally-produced power would result in $2 billion
to $3 billion increase in electricity costs for city consumers and
employers, the study said. What's more, costs state-wide could
balloon by $10 billion to $12 billion. Nobody wants that. New
Yorkers already pay the third-highest electricity rates in the
nation, according to the federal Energy Information
Administration.
New York City is projected to grow by one million new people
by 2030. New commercial and residential developments
including a proposed $4 billion convention center in Queens
need affordable and reliable electricity. According to The
Bureau of Labor Statistics, new employment projections suggest
impressive construction job growth through 2020, with the New
York metropolitan area in the top 5.
We can't be haphazard with powering jobs. We can't allow
electricity rates to put New York's economy in the poorhouse.
New York State must remain open for jobs and the middle class
because the livelihood of working families depends on it.
Vincent Alvarez is President of the New York City Central Labor
Council, a nonprofit umbrella organization that represents over
300 unions citywide.
WWW. A R E A - A L L I A N C E . OR G
A
s spring turned into summer last year, a battle
over gay rights was brewing in New York City.
This was not the years-long struggle to
legalize same-sex marriage in the state, a clash being
waged at the highest levels of government, with millions
of dollars helping frame the issue as a civil rights battle
that became a generational test of progressive values.
Instead, it was a battle about whether Queers
Against Israeli Apartheid should be allowed to meet at
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community
Center in Greenwich Village.
Make no mistake, everyone is welcome at the
center; but these particular organizing activities need to
take place elsewhere, center director Glenda Testone
said in June, three weeks before same-sex marriage was
legalized.
To the unapologetically radical activists behind the
group, this ew in the face of the idea that gay politics
should fundamentally challenge the status quo.
If radical people cant meet there, then it just
becomes another occupied space for wealthy bigots,
group organizer Sherry Wolf told The Village Voice.
To them, the ght over who can meet at the center
symbolized new ssures at the heart of
the gay rights movement in New York.
On one side are moneyed main-
stream gays and their straight allies
who turned a once-inconceivable
idea into a same-sex marriage law. On
the other are activists ready to keep
protesting for transgender rights,
expanded social services and other
items on their agendas. Other groups
fall into the middle but are unwilling to
compromise on strategy again.
But the cracks seem less surprising
than that these disparate groups were
able to unite behind one cause in the rst place. Gov.
Andrew Cuomo pressured organizations famous for
their rivalries and squabbling to march in lockstep,
forsaking individual credit for the sake of the larger goal.
It worked. And as soon as they won, the unraveling
began. A year after the governor rst pulled those groups
into a room in the Capitol and gave them an impetus,
gay rights are once again just another New York special
interest.
B
ringing same-sex marriage to New York took
more than 29 Democrats and 4 Republicans to
voting yes in the State Senate.
It also took a $1.8 million political campaign put
together by Secretary to the Governor Steve Cohen,
SKDKnickerbocker media strategist and political
consultant Jennifer Cunningham and a coalition of
powerful gay rights groups and legislators.
That was a big change from the last time we tried to
pass the gay-marriage bill, when everyone was at logger-
heads and the groups were competing a lot, said Ethan
Geto, a gay rights activist and former Empire State Pride
Agenda lobbyist.
The United for Marriage coalition included all the
issues heavy hitters, such as the Empire State Pride
Agenda, Equality Matters, Freedom to Marry New York,
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Sen. Tom Duane,
Assemblyman Danny ODonnell and the Human Rights
Campaignwhich spent an extra $770,000 on its own.
Yet, this key liberal priority was largely bankrolled
and advanced by conservative Republican donors, who
helped push the idea in the Republican-led Senate.
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, conservative
donor Paul Singer and nanciers Steven Cohen, Clif-
ford Asness and Daniel Loeb all poured money into the
marriage campaign, and the four Republican yes votes
are relying on them for contributions to hold onto their
seats against nasty primary ghts this year.
This top-heavy strategy was pioneered in the mid-
2000s by a group of wealthy donors known as the
Cabinet, who targeted antigay politicians nationwide
and pledged to support candidates who supported their
positions on gay rights.
The groups nanciers, who included Colorado
Internet entrepreneur Tim Gill, Stryker Corporation
heir Jon Stryker and Henry van Ameringen, the Inter-
national Flavors and Fragrances heir, also donated tens
of thousands of dollars to Republican senators after the
marriage bill passed in New York.
L
iberal activists say tapping into moneyed right-
leaning support for marriage equality has a price.
I hate to say it, said longtime gay activist Andy
Humm, but Ronald Reagan, who I despised, had a sign
on his desk that read, Theres no limit to what you can
accomplish if you dont care who gets the credit.
The strategy seems to be working nationwide, as
the Human Rights Campaign pushes for the passage of
same-sex marriage bills in New Jersey and Maryland
following a successful vote in Washington State.
Richard Socarides, former President Bill Clintons
LGBT liaison, presided over his boss
signing of the Defense of Marriage
Act, which barred federal recognition
of same-sex marriages. He says recent
victories are validation of the new
strategy of mixing outside activism
and inside politics.
There is always a healthy debate
about how mainstream the movement
should be and how much change we
should be pushing for, Socarides
said.
Its always a good thing to have
that, to have people who are more
moderate and then people who are more aggressively
pushing for full equality right away, he said. That
tension is not only helpful within the movement, it can
often be helpful in terms of getting the government to
move, because I think it often takes a good cop/bad cop
approach.
Humm disagrees.
Richard Socarides is a quisling, and Ive said it to his
face, said Humm. Hes part of that money crowd that
thinks they control everything, and they treat activists
like theyre dirt under their ngernails.
T
he principled debate over untraditional
alliances came to a head this fall as the Occupy
Wall Street movement raged downtown. The
Human Rights Campaign, which had long published a
corporate equality index, rating companies for their
respective stances on LGBT-friendly policies, gave its
Corporate Equality Award to Goldman Sachs.
Progressive gays would like to see nothing more than
HRC go out of business, said veteran Democratic gay
activist Allen Roskoff. Theyre not part of the progres-
sive coalition out of which the gay rights movement was
formed. In the year of Occupy, they have the nerve and
the gall to honor the president of Goldman Sachs?
In fact, the coalition that came together to pass same-
sex marriage already disagrees on the next set of priori-
ties.
The Human Rights Campaign has already abandoned
New York. Its lead lobbyist in Albany, Brian Ellner, left
almost immediately after the vote for Maryland, where
he is working to pass a same-sex marriage bill.
Other donors and fund raisers have turned their
attentionand their moneyto national causes like
repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, changing adop-
tion laws to help gay parents and revamping tax policies
for same-sex families.
But Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director
There is always
a healthy debate
about how
mainstream the
movement should
be and how much
change we should
be pushing for.
www.cityandstateny.com 12 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
Ross Levi said the groups work on marriage in New
York is not done.
We cant just pop the champagne on marriage and go
home, Levi said.
The entire state Legislature, obviously, is up for elec-
tion in 2012, and so it will be important that our commu-
nity exes our political muscle by standing by those
who stood by us, he said. This is important not only
in a principled way, its also important in terms of us
continuing our political strength.
In New York, that means pledging funds, fealty and
phone banks to support Republican senators who voted
for marriage but may balk at other gay priorities, such as
AIDS housing, transgender rights and keeping President
Barack Obama in ofce.
S
ome left-leaning Democratic activists think
supporting those Republicans is a myopic strategy
that will backre on other gay priorities.
We cant be single-issue, said Roskoff, who noted
that the last Senate Democrats to support the bill, Joseph
Addabbo and Shirley Huntley, did not get the same inux
of donations in thanks for doing so.
By contrast, the nancial spigots opened for the four
Republican senators who passed same-sex marriage.
Roy McDonald and Steve Saland each received close to
half a million dollars, and Jim Alesi and Mark Grisanti
reported raising between $325,000 and $400,000.
Giving $300,000 to promote state Republicans
because the party delivers four votes means well have
more difculty getting any other gay rights legislation
through, Roskoff said. The Republican
party votes against us.
Empire State Pride Agenda is now trying
to pass a nondiscrimination bill called
GENDA that includes transgender protec-
tions and increased funding for gay and
lesbian counseling and health care. Levi
said the group will endorse lawmakers not
just on same-sex marriage but on a range
of issues and their support for bills like GENDA.
We certainly dont stop the inquiry at whether they
were supportive of marriage, Levi said. One can take
traditionally conservative positions on some things and
still believe that its not okay to have LGBT
homeless youth.
A larger question is whether gay rights
groups alliances with moneyed corporate
interests indirectly hurt gay rights on the
national level, where Republican leaders
campaign against same-sex marriage.
Goldman Sachs employees have been
some of the largest donors to Republican
presidential candidate Mitt Romney, giving him more than
half a million dollars. Singer gave $1 million to Restore
Our Future, the Super PAC that supports Romneys
campaign. And Romney supports a constitutional
amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Its hard to understand, Socarides said with a
nervous laugh. Paul Singer and others have been
very supportive of our marriage effort here in New
York, so we appreciate that, but its hard to under-
stand how they can reconcile that with their support
for Mr. Romney. I wouldnt try to explain it for them.
L
og Cabin Republicans this aint. Former
ESPA lobbyist Ethan Geto calls it real-world
politics.
If you observe theres been an increased effort
to reach out, youre absolutely right, Geto said.
Thats a smart evolution of this movement, that
we should not reexively reject help and support
from Republicans or people who otherwise would
be considered as conservative, except theyre not
conservative on this issue, he said. Thats the
way were going to make progress.
In the 1990s, he recalled, liberal activists were
appalled that then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Repub-
lican who made his name being as tough on welfare
as he was on crime, decided he wanted to march in
the gay pride parade.
To have this guy march [in] the gay rights
parade and identify with our community and our
agendathats worth a billion dollars to us! Geto
said.
You might not like a lot of other things Paul
Singer does, but if hes going to put signicant
resources in the ght to win gay marriage rights in
New York, are you going to say to him, Oh, screw you,
we dont want your money? he said. That would be a
very stupid litmus test in real-world politics.
Thats one perspective. Others believe that with
same-sex marriage now mainstream, gay politics needs
new litmus tests to gure out which politicians are
committed to gay rights.
At the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Community Center in Greenwich Village, members of
the center identify themselves with at least 10 sexual
orientationsfew of which are protected from discrimi-
nation under state law.
The New York City Police Department has been
accused of discriminating against transgender people in
a string of recent arrests. It is being sued for allegedly
framing dozens of innocent gay men in prostitution stings
aimed at shutting down sex shops in the West Village.
Gay activists want to hold politicians feet to the
re over those issues, but those causes hardly have the
same broad-based appeal as letting stable gay couples
marryand they are being ignored by the nancially
powerful but culturally conservative organizations that
made same-sex marriage possible.
And outside one corner of Greenwich Village, no one
seems to care about Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.
Its comparable to the trajectory of many other move-
ments that have gone through institutional phases and
then become less vital, Humm said. I wouldnt know
what the hell to tell an activist to do these days.
lnahmias@cityandstateny.com
Read more about the battle for
same-sex marriage at www.cityandstateny.com
Giving $300,000
to promote state
Republicans because
the party delivers four
votes means well have
more difficulty getting
any other gay rights
legislation through.
We cant
just pop the
champagne on
marriage and
go home.
Paul Singer, a major donor to Mitt Romneys campaign, helped bankroll the states same-sex marriage crusade.
Richard Socarides, a former Clinton administration ofcial, says recent
victories validate the new strategy of mixing outside activism with
inside politics.
F
a
c
e
b
o
o
k
W
o
r
l
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www.cityandstateny.com
CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 13
As Jeremy Lin hits the
court, Asian-Americans
nd power in politics
J
eremy Lin could not have arrived at a
more propitious time for the New York
Knicksand for Asian-Americans
growing role in New York politics.
Lin, an Asian-American Ivy
League graduate, is the talk of
New York as he lights up the
NBA. He outscored future Hall
of Famer Kobe Bryant, led the
Knicks to an upset victory over
the Los Angeles Lakers and
clinched a three-point shot to
beat Toronto that reverberated
all the way to Taiwan.
There was another Asian milestone
during Lins breakout week: LATFOR, the
state task force drawing new lines for the fall
elections, held a public hearing in Queens on
a draft plan that creates four Asian-majority
districts in the state Legislature.
Both represent a coming-of-age for
Asians in New York. Opportunity breeds
success.
The Knicks depleted roster gave Lin the
opportunity to crack the starting lineup.
New census gures and once-a-decade
redistricting gives Asian New Yorkers the
opportunity to participate more broadly in
the electoral arenaand to excel there.
Common Cause New York said the
LATFOR draft plan is far from perfect,
but called it a signicant improvement
in Asian American representation and
a step forward in recognizing the rapid
growth of this community.
Sounds like a description of Jeremy Lin,
too.
Just days before Lin caught re on the
court, Rev. Al Sharpton and several black
civil rights leaders denounced LATFORs
draft plan as harmful to
African-American voting
interests, pointing to a district
in Buffalo tailored to keep
white Republican Sen. Mark
Grisanti in ofce.
But when Sharpton juxta-
posed the loss of a black seat
in Buffalo to have an Asian
seat in Queens, he was wildly
off-base. It was as if he accused Knicks
coach Mike DAntoni of costing a black
player a starting spot by putting Lin in the
lineup.
Basketball might be a zero-sum game,
but political empowerment is not.
The Buffalo district, in fact, was never
a minority district per se. When Byron
Brown won the seat from a white incum-
bent in 2000, he became the rst African-
American state senator in New York to
represent a majority-white district
exactly the kind of color-blind outcome the
Voting Rights Act was enacted to secure.
Conversely, the proposed Queens
Senate district draws together Asian neigh-
borhoods split across districts
presently represented by white
Democrats. With a little tweaking,
a good district becomes a better
district. I hope qualied Asian and
non-Asian candidates run for the
seat.
Therein lies an important
lesson from Lins arrival: He has
electried New York not just
because of his own performance
but because he has elevated his
teammates game as well. Where
black and white Knicks kept
failing, Lin succeeded. Thats the
exciting parallel for New York
politics.
When I served in the Assembly,
my colleagues Jimmy Meng (the
rst Asian-American to serve in that
chamber), Ellen Young and, now,
Jimmys daughter, Grace Meng,
brought a new energy to Albany and
a perspective that had been missing. They
brought diversity and new issues to a minority
caucus that had previously been composed
purely of black and Latino legislators.
City Comptroller John Liu was a
dynamo in the City Council, and though
the federal investigation into his campaign
fund-raising has wounded his chances of
becoming mayor, he has proven himself
as a vigorous overseer of city funds.
Nathan Shingawa, a Tompkins County
Legislator, has announced he will run for
Congress upstate. New York City Council
Members Margaret Chin and Peter Koo,
Liu advisor Chung Seto and countless
others are prepared to bring their A
game onto the political court.
Call it the Lin effect. His timely appear-
ance reafrms what is great about Ameri-
cas opportunity society, where everyone
is afforded the chance to make their mark
and represent.
Retired Assemblyman Michael
Benjamin represented the Bronx for
eight years.
Which party will be
hobbled more by the
contraception debate?
I
will leave the substantive analysis
of President Barack Obamas decision
on insurance coverage for
contraception to the policy
experts. But when it comes
to the politics of it, I think of
Casey Stengels lament: Cant
anyone here play this game?
The Obama administra-
tions original policy requiring
Catholic institutions to provide
contraception coverage was
political folly. Catholics are the core of the
nations swing voters.
Catholic voters are a full quarter of the
national electorate, but cast much higher
percentages of the vote in swing Elec-
toral College states from the Mid-Atlantic
and the Midwest. In general elections,
Catholics are over 40 percent of the New
York electorate.
Nationally, 45 percent of Catholics lean
Republican, 35 percent lean Democratic
and 20 percent are truly up for grabs. In
New York, those numbers, respectively, are
404020 percent. Invariably, the party that
carries the Catholic vote wins New York
governorships and national elections.
Yet Catholic voters are not mono-
lithic in terms of religious observance,
party registration or political philos-
ophy. What binds Catholic voters today
is a common culture. And
when Vice President Joe
Biden warned the Obama
administration its original
policy would clash with that
culture, he was ignored.
The administration incor-
rectly assumed Catholics
would ignore church protests
because they practice contra-
ception. Catholic voters are used to
disagreeing with their church on polit-
ical issues, but they want their church
respected. And they want contraception
covered without forcing the church to
pay for it.
The administrations original policy
exposed a chronic blind spot in Democratic
politics, whose leaders all too often see
Catholic voters through the narrow prism
of their battles with church hierarchy.
Obamas eventual policy revision, which
required insurers to cover contraception
without requiring Catholic institutions to
pay for it, did not end the bishops opposi-
tion. But it changed the political fulcrum
from religious liberty to whether women
should be entitled to contraception.
As the national debate took shape, two
Republican front-runners for the vice-
presidential nomination found their own
ways to bungle the issue.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio cospon-
sored a bill backed by Catholic bishops
that would allow any insured entity to
deny their workers coverage for contra-
ception. How is the female majority in
November likely to react to that?
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick
Santorum, who lost reelection in large
part because of his extremism in the
Terri Schiavo case, actually compared
coverage for contraception to the guillo-
tine in the French Revolution.
The Republican blind spot for female
voters is their greatest political threat this
year. Republicans lost the female vote by
double digits in 2006 and 2008, but in 2010
they narrowly carried women 5149 percent.
Is a broad assault on contraception
coverage really in Republicans best
interest? Of the two political blunders,
this is the one that will prove more
damaging if it lingers and settles.
If Republicans choose Rubio or
Santorum as a vice-presidential candidate,
Obama will be tempted to put Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton on his tickettrans-
forming the gender gap into a prohibitive
Democratic advantage.
There could also be ramications in
New York congressional races. On Long
Island, Republican Randy Altschuler
immediately attacked Democratic
Rep. Tim Bishop in their rematch. At
rst the issue cut for Altschuler, but
if he becomes irrevocably aligned
with opposing contraception, Catholic
women will likely reelect Bishop. The
same factor could trip up Republican
Representatives Michael Grimm, Nan
Hayworth, Ann Marie Buerkle and
perhaps even Bob Turner.
Casey Stengel was talking about base-
ball, not politics, but he knew a bad play
when he saw it. Thats more than Demo-
cratic and Republican leaders can say.
Bruce Gyory is a political consultant
at Corning Place Communications in
Albany, and an adjunct professor of
political science at SUNY Albany.
PERSPECTI VES
Bruce Gyory
Michael Benjamin
READY FOR THE FAST BREAK
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE VOTERS
AP
www.cityandstateny.com 14 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
SPOTLI GHT: ENERGY
APPETIZERS
WIND POWER
Offshore wind turbines near
New York City and Long Island
244 megawatts
SOLAR POWER
Installation of photovoltaic
panels in the downstate area
32 megawatts
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Retro tted buildings, more ef cient
appliances, and incentives to use
less power
Up to 1,570 megawatts
REPOWERING
Retro tting power plants with more
ef cient, combined-cycle technology
230 megawatts
FIRST COURSE
NEW POWER PLANTS
Development of new generation in
and around the New York City area
Up to 2,000 megawatts
All options on this menu will not necessarily be offered.
Please inquire about availability of each option, the price, and who
will be paying for it.
PLATTERS
THE STATUS QUO
Relicensing of the Indian Point
Energy Center, Units 2 and 3
2,060 megawatts
SECOND COURSES
HUDSON TRANSMISSION PROJECT
An underground, underwater link
under way between New Jersey and
New York City
660 megawatts
$850 million
CHAMPLAIN HUDSON POWER
EXPRESS
The Transmission Developers line
from Canada to New York City
1,000 megawatts
$1.9 billion
WEST POINT TRANSMISSION
PROJECT
An 80- to 100-mile line along the
Hudson from upstate to the Indian
Point area
2,000 megawatts
$900 million
THE BLOOMBERG/CHARLES RIVER
ASSOCIATES MENU
*All options raise costs approximately
$1.5 billion per year
TRADITIONAL POWER PLANTS*
New generation
1,000 megawatts
Optional: New gas- red combined-cycle
capacity only
500 megawatts
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY*
Transmission line to New York City
1,000 megawatts
Offshore wind farm connected to Brooklyn
500 megawatts
ONE-FOR-ONE *
Gas- red combined-cycle capacity near
Indian Point
2,000 megawatts
THE INDIAN POINT
REPLACEMENT MENU

Note: Some menu options increase air pollution, raise costs and could
increase the chances of a blackout. A healthy diet includes 1,200 megawatts
by 2016, according to the New York Independent System Operator.
THE NATURAL RESOURCES
DEFENSE COUNCIL MENU
EFFICIENCY PLATTER
Replace Indian Point entirely through
ef ciency initiatives across the state
INDIAN POINT AREA PLAN
New or repowered natural-gas
combined-cycle facilities
470 megawatts
Energy ef ciency: 1,570 megawatts
THE NRDC SPECIAL
Ef ciency initiatives near Indian Point
and upstate
1,344 megawatts
Upstate wind power,
with transmission upgrades
674 megawatts
Sources: Charles River Associates, Synapse Energy Economics, Inc., New York Independent System Operator
WANTED: 2,000 MEGAWATTS
What is the cost of
Indian Point? It depends.
By JON LENTZ
T
he debate over the future of the
Indian Point nuclear power plant can
seem like a huge lose-lose proposition.
Keep the plant open, and an earthquake-
triggered meltdown could unleash a wave of
toxic radiation upon millions of New Yorkers.
Shut down the plants two units, and
the region could face rolling blackouts,
double-digit rate hikes and new pollution-
belching power plants to replace the
2,000 megawatts lost from the grid.
But open or closed, Indian Point is
unlikely to fall into either worst-case scenario,
presenting policymakers instead with a
calculation of each options actual risks and
benets and the most acceptable trade-offs.
Most discussions of Indian Point are
strongly in one direction or the other, said
Michael Gerrard, an environmental law
professor at Columbia University who will
moderate a panel about the plant next month.
Theres a lot of polarization on the issue.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commis-
sion has the nal say over renewing the
two reactors licenses, which expire in
2013 and 2015, respectively, though Gov.
Andrew Cuomo has been pushing to shut
them down and is demanding that their
owner, Entergy, install cooling towers
that could be prohibitively expensive.
The arguments in favor of shutting it
down center on safety, an issue that ared
up after the nuclear disaster at Japans Fuku-
shima Daiichi nuclear plant a year ago.
Environmentalists say low-level radia-
tion leaks, the plants location near under-
ground fault lines, countless safety-inspec-
tion exemptions and the lack of a viable
evacuation plan provide further reasons to
shutter the plant.
But the plant has had the highest
safety ratings the past six years,
Entergy points out, and passed key
safety assessments performed by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its
license renewal application.
If the plant is shut down, however, the
critical questions would then be about reli-
ability, cost and environmental impact.
Indian Point electricity meets about 30
percent of New York Citys demand; the
plant is a reliable source of low-green-
house-gas electricity and generates almost
no air pollution of any kind. Its also fairly
inexpensive to run, since the capital costs
were amortized long ago.
The New York Independent System Oper-
ator, or ISO, which operates the states trans-
mission lines and conducts studies of the
reliability of the entire system, has said new
energy sources would have to be in place to
provide 1,200 new megawatts by 2016.
Failure to do so would have serious
reliability consequences, including the
possibility of rolling customer blackouts,
Rick Gonzalez, CEO of the ISO, said at an
Assembly hearing last month.
Gonzalez said that new power plants
and efforts to curtail demand would
likely be the potential solutions in the
next three to ve years, as well as limited
transmission upgrades.
The governor this year called for the
creation of a transmission highway to
bring ample upstate energy to the down-
state area, but stringing hundreds of miles
of new power lines would likely take
longer than building new power plants.
Other options exist, but each has draw-
backs: Renewable power sources such as
wind and solar are expensive, natural gas
requires new supply and generators, and
nobody wants more coal.
But Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, who
chairs the Energy Committee, said testi-
mony at his hearing last month convinced
him that Indian Point is not essential to
New Yorks energy future, from both envi-
ronmental and reliability perspectives.
The new generation could be the
retrotting of an existing facility, the
repowering of an existing facility to be
larger and using a cleaner fuel than is
currently used, Cahill said.
A study commissioned by the Natural
Resources Defense Council showed
sufcient savings from energy conser-
vation and efciency to replace Indian
Point, though some dismissed the nd-
ings as overly optimistic.
A separate study conducted for the
Bloomberg administration last year raised
more red ags, predicting customer rate
increases of 5 to 10 percent and greater
levels of pollution from new power plants.
Any power plant can be retired, but
theres trade-offs, said Sergej Mahnovski,
Mayor Michael Bloombergs director of
energy policy. And really, the key here is,
you know, theres no free lunch. We can
disagree on the exact numbers and assump-
tions, and I think it should be part of a
vibrant policy discussion over what we want
the future of our energy system to look like.
The other big environmental ght
in the state, a controversial natural-gas
drilling technique called hydrofracking,
gives the debate another twist, since gas
drilling could boost supply and make it
more feasible to shut down Indian Point.
I think theres a fair point for debate,
Gerrard said. The principal source of
natural gas in the region is hydrofracking.
I dont think they can be separated.
Cahill acknowledged that closing
Indian Point would have other disadvan-
tages. The plant employs 1,100 people,
many of them well paid and highly skilled.
The second major question is, What
happens to the local property tax base for
the municipalities and the school district, if
Indian Power were to shutter? Cahill said.
David Bomke, executive director of the
New York Energy Consumers Council, said
his large-scale energy buyers appreciate
Indian Points contribution to reliability,
lower costs and zero carbon emissions.
But as far as everybody else, I want
to cover my bets, Bomke added. I dont
want either one of those mistakes to go
wrong. I dont support nuclear disaster in
Buchanan, nor do I support blackouts in
any place in the area.
Jlentz@cityandstateny.com
Read more about Indian Point
at www.cityandstateny.com
Joey Carolino
Theresa Motko
Indian Point Electrical Engineer
Artie Bortz
Indian Point Mechanical Engineer
Diana Musiyenko
Indian Point Electrical Engineer
We care, too.
1
A report prepared by the independent experts at Charles River Associates for the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection
2
New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)
We care about our clean air. Indian Point generates
about 25 percent of the electricity in New York City and
Westchester, with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions.
Without the plants, there would be a substantial increase
in air pollution.
1
We care about affordable and reliable electricity. Indian
Points power is lower cost. Without it, New Yorkers
electric bills would increase. Rolling blackouts could also
hit the city and local areas.
2
We care about safety. And on this, we never compromise.
Weve spent over a billion dollars to enhance safety and
security. Even though Indian Point is not susceptible to
tsunamis, it can withstand twice the level of ooding the
area has ever seen. It has multiple and various back-up
power systems and equipment located in areas designed to
keep power owing to the plants. Fukushima had no such
safety margin.
We care about accountability. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
inspectors are on site full-time with full access to any
information, any employee and any part of the facility
without prior notice. Thats accountability all the time.
We care about our families and neighbors. The 1,200
people who work here also live here. We care about the
same issues that you do. We encourage you to take a close
look at any plans to replace the plants at Indian Point.

Be sure to visit www.RightForNewYork.com or Facebook
for more information.
WERE RIGHT FOR NEW YORK
Indian Point Energy Center
www.cityandstateny.com 16 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
SPOTLI GHT: ENERGY
GEORGE MAZIARZ
Senate Energy
Committee Chairman
Q: What are your
thoughts on the
new NYSERDA
solar study, which
called for a con-
tinued investment
in the steady and measured growth
and deployment of solar photo-
voltaic panels?
GM: After a cursory review of it, I
was a little bit surprised. They werent
commenting on the positives or nega-
tives of it, but clearly theyre saying that
it could have a very negative impact on
rates. I think we need to be careful going
forward, but I sort of like the governors
approach within the state budget, which
is to offer tax credits for solar develop-
ment.

Q: The states review of hydrofrack-
ing has been slowed by a deluge of
public comments. Is the state moving
too fast or too slow on this?
GM: I think the Department of Environ-
mental Conservation has to go through
these comments and continue their due
diligence. If 60,000 people took the oppor-
tunity to comment on it, I think that their
comments should be considered. That
probably will extend it out some more.
Thats why we have that process.
Q: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made
signicant progress with the passage
of Article X and other measures, and
hes pushing for more this year. How-
ever, some still think the state needs
a more comprehensive energy plan.
GM: Ill tell you, Im excited about
working with the governor on it. Last
year was the most successful year on
energy policy, maybe in the history of the
state. When you look at Article X, on-bill
nancing, net metering, Recharge New
York, almost all of those pieces of policy
legislation had been around for years.
And this governor really drove it. I feel
in some respects it all got overshadowed
by other issues. But last year was hugely
successful on energy policy. And you
know what? A lot of it would not have
happened without the governor driving
consensus between the Senate and the
Assembly.
Q: What else needs to be done?
GM: Clearly, this energy highway that the
governor outlined is a major economic-
development tool for upstate New York.
The transmission system in some areas is
over 50 years old. So, clearly, the technol-
ogys changed, and we have not kept up
with it. That, and I think we have to do
something with solar generation.
KEVIN CAHILL
Assembly Energy
Committee Chairman
Q: Whats your view
on the states hydro-
fracking review?
KC: [Environmental]
Commissioner [Joe]
Martens offered testi-
mony this month essentially saying that
New York State is not ready to issue
regulations for fracking. And he does not
see us being ready any time in the imme-
diate future, that the review process for
the many, many comments received
and he described as learned and valu-
able commentswill be consuming the
DECs time for the foreseeable future.
He has not identied a place in New York
where fracking uid could be disposed
of. He also pointed out that the governor
has not asked for any additional staff
in the 20122013 budget to monitor or
license fracking. The disturbing part of
Martens testimony is: If fracking were
to go forward this scal year, he would
look to existing DEC staff to police that
process. Particularly after the decimation
of that department over the last several
years, theres no evidence that the DEC
is adequately staffed to monitor any
fracking.
Q: A new NYSERDA solar study
called for a continued investment in
the steady and measured growth and
deployment of solar photovoltaic
panels.
KC: The report understates savings from
air-quality mitigation avoidance in New
York City. It understates the potential for
manufacturing in the solar eld and the
economic multiplier that results from
that. The folks who wrote the report
seem fairly satised with what NYSERDA
is doing; yet those policies, together with
the tax incentives proposed for this years
budget, have really failed to cause the
solar industry to take off in New York. We
believe that the Solar Jobs Act that would
create a solar renewable-energy credit
system is the way to really advance solar
energy to the next plateau.
Q: Does New York need a more com-
prehensive plan?
KC: We absolutely do, and two years
ago I passed legislation that created a
permanent and dynamic energy-planning
process. New York now has a permanent
energy-planning board that convenes on
a regular basis and is in the process of
building the rst legislatively endorsed
energy plan, due out later this year. Were
premising the report on the existing
administrative plan that we have in New
York. Clearly, our energy future will be
much better if we work in the context of
an energy plan rather than in isolation.
The comprehensive energy plan is the
only way to ensure a secure, affordable
energy future.
GIL QUINIONES
New York Power Authority
President and CEO
Q: What are your
goals for NYPA?
GQ: One is really
back to basics and
fundamentalsits to
provide safe, reliable,
affordable and environmentally respon-
sible energy to our customers and to New
Yorkers. The second is to have a laser
focus in helping to advance Gov. Cuomos
energy and economic-development poli-
cies and goals.

Q: How will you do that?
GQ: We need to invest in our people.
Thirty to forty percent of our employees
are retirement-eligible over the next ve
years, so succession planning and work-
force training and development are very
important. We need qualied people to
operate and maintain our generation and
transmission assets. We need to invest in
our aging transmission and generation
infrastructure. Many of our systems were
built in the late 50s, early 60s, all the way
to the 70s. We need to address and make
sure that they are brought up to a state of
good repair. Lastly, with all the changes in
the industry and technology, we need to
be very, very smart in the deployment of
clean-energy technology.
Q: What needs to be done to get
private companies to invest in new
transmission lines?
GQ: As the governor announced in the
State of the State, he intends to have
requests for proposals from the private
sector, and really cast a wide net and get
all the best ideas out there on what we
need to do with our energy infrastruc-
ture, both production supply as well as
the transmission of that power. I think
because of deregulation, the rules of the
road are not very clear, because of the
evolution of deregulation in the energy
industry. I think what the governor is
embarking on right now with us is to
provide a path so that those investments
can occur.
Q: Do you see a renaissance in New
Yorks energy policy?
GQ: I believe the governor has really been
a catalyst. Article X, the power-plant-
siting law, had been languishing for years.
With his leadership, that was enacted last
year. Now we have Recharge New York,
which is in the implementation stage.
We have the energy highway and this
NY-Sun initiative. Then its really leading
by example. Lets invest and operate state
facilities and show to the private sector
that these investments make good busi-
ness sense, that these technologies are
tried-and-true.
CAS HOLLOWAY
New York City Deputy
Mayor for Operations
Q: What progress
has the city made in
cutting energy con-
sumption and using
cleaner energy?
CH: We have made
tremendous progress on both. The mayor
committed 10 percent annually of the
citys energy budget to retrot projects, or
about $80 million a year. We have imple-
mented or are in process of implementing
about 150 projects. While theyre still in
the implementation stage, in December
of scal year 11 versus December of
scal year 12, overall energy use was
down 25 percent. Year-to-date between
11 and 12, overall use is down 8 percent.
Were seeing some signicant success,
but were not there yet.

Q: What concerns does the city have
about hydrofracking, and are you
condent the state will address
them?
CH: The state has already shown itself to
being a great partner on this issue, and
that is due to the governor and also DEC
Commissioner Joe Martens, who came
around quickly to the citys view that
hydrofracking should not be permitted
within New York Citys unltered water-
shed. Theres also a question of whats the
right buffer from our infrastructure, and
we submitted comments on this. Thats
our primary issue: protection of New
York Citys pristine drinking water and
the protection of our infrastructure.

Q: Where is the city at on exploring
waste-to-energy?
CH: In the context of the citys overall
waste planand the mayor announced
in the State of the City that we are going
to try to double the diversion rate, which
is basically diverting waste from land-
lls. We have an RFP thats just about
ready to go thats going to seek from the
marketplace ideas about what are the
newest conversion technologies that are
out there. The city produces about 11,000
tons of waste a day. Its not going to be
anything close to that, probably in the
100-ton range. Our diversion rate right
now is about 15 percent. To get from
15 percent to 30 percent, in our plan, 10
of those percentage points come from
increased reuse and recycling. Where
the city is focusing its energiespun
intendedis recycling. But waste-to-
energy is important, because theres
always going to be some irreducible
amount that cant be reused or recycled,
and technology is getting better and
better. New York has been leading the
way on a lot of sustainability things, and
were going to be leading the way on this.
www.cityandstateny.com CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 17
West Point Transmission is an essential element in
New Yorks future Energy Highway -- a proposed
high-capacity, subsurface power cable capable of
bringing generation from northern and western New
York to electricity consumers in the New York City
area in the absence of Indian Point.
About Power Bridge:
West Point is a project of PowerBridge, LLC , which
develops, fnances, builds, and operates electric power
transmission infrastructure. PowerBridge projects
include the Neptune undersea power cable, successfully
completed in 2007, which provides 660 MW of power
to Long Island, and the Hudson underwater power
cable, currently under construction and scheduled for
completion in 2013, which will provide 660 MW to
New York City.
t/FX:PSLFOFSHZGPS
/FX:PSLFST
t"NPSFSPCVTUFOFSHZ
JOGSBTUSVDUVSFJO/FX
:PSL4UBUF
t.PSF/FX:PSLKPCT
t.PSFQPXFSUPGVFM
FDPOPNJDHSPXUI
t$POOFDUJPOUPFYJTUJOH
IJHIWPMUBHFHSJE
Niagara
Warren
ALBANY, NY
BUCHANAN, NY
NEW YORK CITY, NY
Learn more about West Point Transmission by visiting:
www.westpointproject.com
AN ENERGY SOLUTION
FOR NEW YORK
West Point Transmission would bring:
www.powerbridge.us
ce.columbia.edu/citystate1
Graduate Program in
Sustainability Management
In addition to managing nance, people, information, communications and
strategy, the effective manager in the 21st century must also be responsible
for an organizations use of physical resources and their impact on the
environment. Todays effective professional must be a sustainability manager.
To answer this need, Columbia University of fers a Master of Science in
Sustainability Management. Taught by experts from Columbias ground-
breaking Earth Institute, in partnership with the Universitys cutting-edge
School of Continuing Education, our exible part-time or full-time program
equips professionals with the leadership skills to achieve an organizations
performance goals while working toward a sustainable planet.
Information session for this full-time and part-time
Master of Science program on March 28, 6:30 P.M.
Online information session for this full-time and
part-time Master of Science program on April 6, 12:00 P.M.
P
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at 212.284.9712 or www.cityandstateny.com
www.cityandstateny.com 18 FEBRUARY 21, 2012 CITY&STATE
SPOTLI GHT: ENERGY
THE ISSUES
INDIAN POINT
The nuclear power plant, located on the Hudson River
within 30 miles of New York City, has become a ashpoint
over the past year, particularly after the nuclear disaster
at Fukushima in Japan nearly a year ago. Gov. Andrew
Cuomo has been calling for Indian Points closure for over
a decade, though supporters insist there are not enough
replacement options in place or even in development to
safely shutter the two reactors.
HYDROFRACKING
Opponents of the controversial natural-gas drilling
procedure have made their mark, submitting tens of thou-
sands of comments that the states Department of Conser-
vation will be sifting through for months. Industry backers
grumble that the review has gone on long enough, delaying
a critical economic boost to communities in the Southern
Tier. Cuomo maintains hell take a careful, scientic
approach to the regulatory review and only allow it to go
forward if it is safe.
TRANSMISSION
The big energy goal the governor laid out this year
is a new transmission highway to connect power
resources upstate and in Canada with the downstate
region, which could see shortages in coming years
especially if Indian Point closes. Such projects gener-
ally take longer than building new power plants, but
some proposals are mostly or entirely underground or
underwater, or would simply upgrade existing lines,
which could limit community opposition that torpe-
doed past efforts.
RENEWABLES
Another proposal raised this year was a program to
boost solar power. However, Cuomos plans to encourage
procurement of larger solar projects, and to expand
rebates for midsize projects, are less ambitious than
some Democratic lawmakers were hoping for. Potential
transmission upgrades could also spur more investment
upstate in wind power, a small but growing part of the
states energy portfolio.
NEW YORK
GENERATING
CAPACITY
*
NEW YORK
POWER
PRODUCTION
**
GAS & OIL
38%
NATURAL GAS
17%
HYDRO
11%
OIL
9%
COAL
6%
HYDRO-PUMPED
STORAGE
4%
WIND
(less than)
1%
OTHER
RENEWABLES
1%
NATURAL GAS
26%
NUCLEAR
27%
NUCLEAR
14%
HYDRO
18%
NEW
IMPORTED
ELECTRICITY
16%
COAL
8%
PETROLEUM
2%
OTHER
2% WIND
1%
NEW YORKS POWER SOURCES
New York has far more gas- and oil-fueled electric generating plants than nuclear ones. But nuclear
generates power more often and more consistently than other sources, making it by far the largest element
in the energy mix, producing 27 percent of the power used across the state.
*Megawatts
Source: New York Independent System Operator, Power Trends 2011
**Gigawatt-hours
Source: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority,
2009 New York State Energy Fast Facts
THE PLAYERS
THE STATE
Gov. Andrew Cuomo jump-started the states
energy policy with last years renewal of the Article
X law for siting new power plants, and now hes
pushing for a transmission superhighway that
could make it easier to meet his longtime goal
of shutting down Indian Point. The governors
behind-the-scenes energy brain trust includes
Tom Congdon, an assistant energy secretary,
policy adviser Jim Malatras and Bob Hallman,
a newly hired deputy secretary for the environ-
ment. Department of Environmental Conservation
Commissioner Joe Martens is the administra-
tions public face on hydrofracking, which is under
review in the state.
THE LEGISLATURE
Sen. George Maziarz, the Republican chair of
the Senate Energy Committee, was a key partner
with Cuomo on energy legislation last year. He is
also more industry-friendly than his Assembly coun-
terpart, Democratic lawmaker Kevin Cahill, on
issues like solar-power investment and the closure of
Indian Point. Queens Sen. Michael Gianaris, whose
district borders many of the citys power plants, has
played a key role on energy policy.
THE CITY
Cas Holloway, New York Citys deputy mayor
for operations, has led the administrations efforts
to invest in and use cleaner energy. Other key of-
cials include Environmental Protection Commis-
sioner Carter Strickland, who has raised
concerns about the local effects of hydrofracking,
and David Bragdon, the director of the Ofce of
Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, who over-
sees the citys long-term plan to reduce pollution
and adopt greener energy technology.
THE AUTHORITIES
A few key state entities oversee various aspects
of the energy market. The New York Power
Authority, tasked with providing cheap, clean
energy, maintains 17 hydropower and other power
plants and over 1,400 circuit-miles of transmis-
sion lines. The Long Island Power Authority
carries out a similar task on a smaller scale. The
Public Service Commission sets rates and
service standards for the states regulated utilities.
The New York Independent System Operator
runs the states energy grid and ensures its reli-
ability. The New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority, or NYSERDA,
conducts research and runs programs to reduce
energy use and promote efciency.
Andrew Schwartz
J
o
e
y

C
a
r
o
l
i
n
o
THE INDUSTRY
New Yorks deregulated market separated
energy distributors from generators. The states
major power generators are Constellation
Energy, USPowerGen and Entergy, which
owns the nuclear facilities at Indian Point. Its
largest energy utilities are Con Edison and
National Grid, which distribute the energy to
customers.
THE ADVOCATES
The New York Affordable Reliable
Energy Alliance and the Independent Power
Producers of New York advocate for the
energy industry on a range of issues, while the
Independent Oil and Gas Association of
New York defends the controversial practice of
hydrofracking. Environmental groups, like the
Natural Resources Defense Council and the
New York League of Conservation Voters,
also weigh in regularly on energy policy.
www.cityandstateny.com
CITY&STATE FEBRUARY 21, 2012 19
City & State: How is life as a con-
gressional candidate?
Rory Lancman: The life of a congres-
sional exploratory candidate is exceed-
ingly busy, but like with anything else
in life, preparation is key. Weve been
preparing for a while now for what we
think will be an eventuality.
C&S: Two of the big issues for David
Weprin were gay marriage and Israel.
Do you think those will be big issues
again this time?
RL: I dont know if theyll be big issues, but
in terms of Israel, I have an unimpeachable
record as a terric advocate for a strong
U.S.-Israel relationship. Ive been an advo-
cate from before I was elected. But certainly
since Ive been elected Ive had a slew of
homeland-security, antiterrorism bills that
Ive offered into law. Ive been very vocal
about supporting Israel and, where appro-
priate, criticizing the Obama administration.
I mean, last fall I did a forum with the govern-
ment of Israel at St. Johns University that I
sponsored and put together on the delegiti-
mization and its root in anti-Semitism. Im
also on the board of something called the
Lawfare Project, which is very involved in
helping Israel and the United States defend
against the use of civil legal proceedings to
try to hamstring Israel and the United States
from ghting against terrorism. So my issue
advocacy is both broad and deep. So Im
going to do very well with people who care
about that issue.
C&S: But David Weprin had a very
strong record as well, yet because
of Ed Koch the issue turned into a
negative for him.
RL: Ed Koch and I wrote an op-ed in 2007
when [then] Sen. [Barack] Obama was
running for president, urging the Demo-
cratic Party to take a stronger stance on
Iran. So, again, not comparing or contrasting
me to David or anybody else, but my advo-
cacy on Israel is rooted in legislation, real
measurable support and activity. People in
the district where Ive lived my whole life
know and appreciate that.
C&S: Koch seems to have made up
with Obama since then.
RL: Koch has now made up with Obama.
Even more importantly for me, in terms
of the election, anyone who is upset about
Barack Obamas policies on Israel, health
carewell, you name itcan vote against
Barack Obama at the top of the ticket. They
dont need to send a message
vicariously through me or
any other Democrat. Also, for
me, in September, many of
the people who went to the
polls in the special election
were going to send a message.
That message was sent. In
November of 2012, people will
be going to the polls to send a
congressman to Washington.
C&S: During that special
election, there was also a
lot of anger in the Ortho-
dox Jewish community
over the gay-marriage bill
passing. Has that died
down?
RL: The issue with marriage
equality is a very simple civil
rights issue, which people
understand, and Ive never had
a political problem with. Its
that every benet, right, obli-
gation, responsibility that the
government confers, it has to
confer on everyone. And when
I discuss it in those terms, Ive
never had a problem with it. I
really dont think its going to
be an issue for me.
C&S: In the last election,
Democrats spent a lot of time talk-
ing about Social Security and Med-
icaid. Do you expect that to be a big
issue again?
RL: The issue in this campaign is going to
be that working people are struggling to
provide a decent life for their families, and
that we are playing on an unlevel playing
eld. Thats the issue. Its providing economic
fairness and opportunity. You look at wages
in this country that have been stagnant since
2002. Most Americans dont have a pension.
A kid goes to college, and they leave with
crushing debt. Its like having a mortgage,
but no house to show for it. And we have
tax system that honors wealth, not work.
Gov. Mitt Romney is paying a lower tax rate
than either his or Warren Buffetts secretary.
These are the meat-and-potato economic
issues which are going to dominate this race.
Thats what people care about. Thats what
were going to talk about.
C&S: Are there particular votes that
Turner has taken you plan to highlight?
RL: Bob Turners record starts with him
saying that John Boehner is a guy he agrees
with more than anybody else. And from
there you take his rst vote, which was to
make it easier for companies to ship good
union jobs overseas, to his irresponsible
vote on the debt ceiling, which would take
us back to the debacle of last summer,
when the country almost defaulted on its
debt and so its credit rating lowered. So in
a very short period of time, Mr. Turner has
found ways to distinguish himself in ways
that are not really appreciated by people
who live in Brooklyn and Queens.
C&S: What makes you believe there
will actually be a district to run in,
other than Assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver saying he would like to keep it?
RL: The district exists now. It makes no
sense, based on where population loss in
the state of New York occurred, to elimi-
nate the Ninth District. And the Republicans
are not going to be allowed to gerrymander
their way to hold onto districts elsewhere
in the state that really cannot be sustained
based on where the population loss is. So I
think the speaker was just really stating the
obvious when he said this isnt a Republican
seat to give up. Implied within what he said
is that New York City shouldnt have to sacri-
ce a congressional district at the same time
that the Republicans in the State Senate are
trying to unfairly hurt New York City and
downstate in the State Senate redistricting.
And Ill just make the observation that even
Brian Kolb, the Republican minority leader
in the Assembly from upstate, has recog-
nized that leaving all these seats in
western New York that it has now
is unsustainable, as a matter of just
population maps.
C&S: But dont some Demo-
cratic members of Congress
want to eliminate this district
to save their own seats?
RL: I dont think my Democratic
colleagues would prefer to lose a
seat that has been Democratic for
decades, except for this one rela-
tively uky circumstance where
Republicans won it in a special
election.
C&S: It seems that Repub-
licans are already trying to
paint you as a clubhouse poli-
tician, something that worked
pretty well when David Weprin
ran. How do you avoid getting
portrayed that way?
RL: I dont want to compare and
contrast with David Weprin, but
my constituents, the people of New
York, know that Im a serious and
effective legislator. That Ive passed
19 laws in my rst ve years in ofce.
In the rst six months of my being
in the state Legislature, I passed ve
laws. I think I have a well-deserved
reputation for being a serious and
effective state legislator and not
part of any clubhouse and with very good
progressive reform credentials. If thats the
Republicans line of attack, I dont think its
going to resonate with anyone.
C&S: Republicans also charge that
youve been running for this ever
since David Weprin lost, which sig-
nals that youre overly ambitious.
RL: Its not my fault that Bob Turners very
rst vote in Congress, as my congressman,
was to make it easier for companies to
outsource jobs overseas. Im going to
comment on what my congressman is
doing. And if hes not representing the
district that I live in, and not advocating for
the things I want him to advocate for as my
congressman, Im not going to be shy about
it. If Bob Turners honeymoon was briefer
than he had hoped, he has no one to blame
for that but himself and his professed alle-
giance to John Boehner.
Chris Bragg
cbragg@cityandstateny.com
Read more about Rory Lancmans
campaign at www.cityandstateny.com
ROARING LANCMAN
T
heres no guarantee that Assemblyman Rory Lancman will have a congressional seat to run
for this fall, but the Queens lawmaker is nonetheless exploring a challenge against Republican
Congressman Bob Turner. Lancman is condent that he will not only be able to run but that hell
win. In an interview, the Queens Democrat discussed how this race will be different from Assemblyman
David Weprins losing campaign, his relationship with former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and how
he plans to counter Republican attacks that he is a clubhouse politician.
What follows is an edited transcript.
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