Post by Chris_Wendt on Jan 13, 2009 12:58:44 GMT -5
Yesterday was the first full-session day for the NY State Senate, now under the control of Senate Democrats for the first time in 43 years.
The Senate Majority Leader in Malcolm A. Smith (D-Saint Albans), replacing Dean Skelos (R-Garden City).
This makes the leadership situation at least mildly interesting, because Majority Leader Smith is both from NY City (Queens) and, at least geographically, a Long Islander. His home town borders Nassau County, but his home Senate District covers Southeast Queens and the Rockaways, meaning, it is largely a district comprised of non-white residents, many non-English speaking people, a large immigrant community with several diverse immigrant cultures, but, also with a large number and percentages of middle class white constituents as well. A mixed-bag, so to speak.
Unfortunately for Wantagh as well as for the rest of Nassau, Westchester and Suffolk Counties, this also means that our own Senator Chuck Fuschillo as well as most of our LI Senate Delegation have now been relegated (from Majority status & control of the Senate) to minority status, with legislative power seriously reduced along with their district funding.
Among the major benefits enjoyed by Wantagh as well as other LI school districts have been unusually high increases in State Aid to Education over the last two years, in particular. These exceptional revenue increases were almost entirely due to the tireless efforts and bravado of Senators Dean Skelos and Chuck Fuschillo on our behalf. It would do well for us to remember these accomplishments in the future, Unfortunately, I would proffer that those unusuallly large school aid increases for Wantagh in particualr, or for Long Island in general, will probably not be repeated under the current and new all-Democrat controlled State Government.
We certainly owe Senator Chuck Fuschillo a real debt of gratitude for his diligent representation of Wantagh's interests over the past 10 years.
Sincerely,
Chris Wendt
The Senate Majority Leader in Malcolm A. Smith (D-Saint Albans), replacing Dean Skelos (R-Garden City).
This makes the leadership situation at least mildly interesting, because Majority Leader Smith is both from NY City (Queens) and, at least geographically, a Long Islander. His home town borders Nassau County, but his home Senate District covers Southeast Queens and the Rockaways, meaning, it is largely a district comprised of non-white residents, many non-English speaking people, a large immigrant community with several diverse immigrant cultures, but, also with a large number and percentages of middle class white constituents as well. A mixed-bag, so to speak.
Unfortunately for Wantagh as well as for the rest of Nassau, Westchester and Suffolk Counties, this also means that our own Senator Chuck Fuschillo as well as most of our LI Senate Delegation have now been relegated (from Majority status & control of the Senate) to minority status, with legislative power seriously reduced along with their district funding.
Among the major benefits enjoyed by Wantagh as well as other LI school districts have been unusually high increases in State Aid to Education over the last two years, in particular. These exceptional revenue increases were almost entirely due to the tireless efforts and bravado of Senators Dean Skelos and Chuck Fuschillo on our behalf. It would do well for us to remember these accomplishments in the future, Unfortunately, I would proffer that those unusuallly large school aid increases for Wantagh in particualr, or for Long Island in general, will probably not be repeated under the current and new all-Democrat controlled State Government.
We certainly owe Senator Chuck Fuschillo a real debt of gratitude for his diligent representation of Wantagh's interests over the past 10 years.
Sincerely,
Chris Wendt
