| Candidates already calling
PEF for campaign support Union achieving new level of political clout By SHERRY HALBROOK It’s still early in Campaign 2000, but there are already clear signs that PEF is entering a new and higher level of political prestige and clout. Among those signs are invitations to PEF President Roger Benson to serve as co-chair of the campaign re-election committees for both US Representative Mike McNulty of the Capital District and NYS Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. “Our leaders have never received that kind of invitation before,” said PEF Vice President and Political Action Chair Ken Brynien. “It means that PEF is starting to enter that inner political arena that we have wanted to enter for a long time.” “I was very surprised to get a personal call from Attorney General Spitzer asking me to serve,” said Benson, who would not accept the invitations until PEF made its decision to endorse the candidates. Both endorsements were made by the union’s Executive Board at its March meeting in Albany. At that same meeting, the Board also endorsed incumbents in two other congressional races — Michael Forbes and Carolyn McCarthy. Hundreds more endorsements will be made as the campaign season progresses. While McNulty faces the voters this November, Spitzer’s term runs through 2002. The opportunity to play a key role in these important election campaigns will “allow us to be in on the ground floor with these young, vigorous rising stars in state and national politics,” Benson said. Since Spitzer took office a year ago, “he has been doing all the right things,” Benson said. “He is the first attorney general who has actually taken the time to meet with stewards and members of PEF Divisions 187 in Albany and 356 in New York City. The endorsement also had the enthusiastic support of Executive Board Member Brian Smith, who represents those divisions at the state Department of Law.” Benson said Spitzer and McNulty wanted his help and PEF’s support because “they know we have a real political operation that can put skillful, effective workers into their campaigns.” Benson said McNulty’s positive relationship with him and with PEF has deep roots. “I first got to know Mike McNulty in 1986 when he was serving in the state Assembly seat now held by Ron Canestrari,” Benson said. “I was at the state Health Department and was looking for sponsors for legislation to fund a huge, new building program for Wadsworth Laboratories. “We got McNulty to sponsor it in the Assembly and then-Sen. Howard Nolan to sponsor it in the Senate. But Nolan was a Democrat and the Senate Republicans refused to pass the measure in 1988. And after the ’88 session, when McNulty made his first run for Congress, he had the support of Benson (who was PEF Region 8 coordinator) and the union. “We were extremely active for him, and to this day whenever he sees me he always reminds me of that,” Benson said. McNulty won, but before he left for Washington, he brought his successor Canestrari up to speed on the Wadsworth legislation so that he could effectively sponsor the bill in 1989. Benson then made another important ally. “We enlisted Joe Bruno to sponsor the legislation in the Senate and I practically camped out in his office all year, but we got it through both houses and signed into law in 1989.” “It takes years of that kind of cooperation, but today those same political people are in high places and they are calling us. Our past relationships are paying off,” Benson said. |