PEF targets key races
By SHERRY HALBROOK
As Campaign 2000 rolls into high gear, PEF is focusing the main force of its political action on the Gore-Lieberman ticket nationally, Hillary Clinton in her bid for the U.S. Senate, and its endorsed candidates in 12 tight races for the state Legislature.
“This is a crucial year in state and national politics,” said PEF President Roger Benson. “The choices we make at the polls will have long lasting effects on our lives and those of our families. We must vigorously support all of the candidates who understand and respect our work in public service and our needs at work, at home and in our communities.”
“We stand behind every candidate we’ve endorsed, but our greatest efforts are in those races where we can make the biggest difference,” said PEF Vice President Ken Brynien, who heads the union’s Statewide Political Action Committee. “We have already played an important role in key primary races, including the Democratic primary challenge to Arthur Eve in the 141st AD in Buffalo.”
Six key Assembly racesIn the state Assembly, PEF is concentrating on the election campaigns of six Democrats — Bill Magnarelli, Kevin Cahill, Eric Vitaliano, David Koon, Amy Paulin and Francine Delmonte.
Magnarelli is running in the 120th Assembly District which is in Onondaga County — PEF Region 4 country.
Delegates to the PEF 22nd Annual Convention in Syracuse last month got a close-up look at Magnarelli, who was one of the guest speakers at a workshop on winning campaign strategies.
Vitaliano, who is running in the 60th AD on Staten Island, was one of two state lawmakers honored by PEF at the convention with a Quality Services Award for his efforts as chair of the Assembly Governmental Employees Committee.
He was a key figure in supporting a wealth of very important pension-related legislation this year, including the permanent, automatic COLA and the reforms tied to the PS&T contract. Vitaliano was prime sponsor of the COLA bill in the Assembly.
PEF Region 11 activists are putting their skills to work for Vitaliano’s campaign.
As a former PEF member, Cahill has a first-hand understanding of how it feels to be a state professional and why state budget and legislative issues are so important to PEF members.
Cahill is defending his seat in the 101st Assembly District in Ulster County — PEF Region 9, where Paulin is running for the first time in the 88th AD.
PEF Region 3 members are rallying behind Koon’s re-election bid in the 135th AD, which includes Monroe and Ontario counties.
And in Region 1, activists are supporting Delmonte’s challenge to the Republican incumbent in the 138th district.
PEF targets six in SenatePEF is also targeting six key races of Republican incumbents in the state Senate, whom the union has endorsed.
These are Thomas Morahan, Carl Marcellino, Frank Padavan, Guy Velella, Patricia McGee and Nick Spano.
“These are very experienced lawmakers, who have worked closely with PEF on important legislative issues over the years,” Brynien said. “Five of them chair important Senate committees.”
Morahan chairs the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee and was a key player in getting the Veterans Service Credit amendment passed this year, which will make it affordable for PEF veterans to buy additional service credit in the state pension system if the bill is signed into law by the governor.
Morahan was honored and thanked for his efforts by the PEF Veterans Committee at the annual Veterans Luncheon at the PEF convention in September.
PEF Region 9 activists are on the frontlines of the union’s efforts to support Morahan, who represents the 38th SD which includes Rockland and part of Orange County, as well as Spano in the 35th SD in Westchester.
Spano heads the Senate Labor Committee, which is key to many important issues for PEF. As former chair of the Mental Health Committee, the veteran Republican lawmaker also has a long history of working with PEF on those issues.
PEF Region 12 members are working for Marcellino’s re-election in the 5th SD, which includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties. Marcellino chairs the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. He was also the prime sponsor of this year’s contract-related pension-enhancement legislation in the Senate.
Padavan is well known to PEF Region 11 members who are putting their shoulders to the wheel for his re-election in the 11th SD in Queens. He chairs the Senate Committee on Cities.
Members in PEF Region 10 have taken up the re-election cause of Velella in the 34th SD, which takes in parts of the Bronx and Westchester County. Velella was prime sponsor of the COLA bill in the Senate.
In PEF Region 1, the union’s political activists have taken up the cause of McGee, who is running for re-election in the sprawling 56th SD which encompasses Chautauqua, Allegany, Cattaraugus and part of Livingston County.
McGee chairs the Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, a pivotal position for PEF members looking to keep those state services in the public sector.
What you do counts
“I urge all PEF members to take a minute to review PEF’s endorsements (See page 12) and note the candidates who are running in their areas,” Brynien said. “Our union spends a lot of time meeting with candidates from both parties and closely reviewing their records of support for our legislative issues. We try hard to pick the best candidates.
“Now, it is time for every member to get involved — learn as much as we can about the issues and candidates, and volunteer to work on campaigns to ensure every voter is well informed and understands the significance of their choices.
“Please contact your PEF regional coordinator or PAC chair right away and tell them that you want to work on campaigns in your area. Together, we can and will have a say about the future of our state and our country.”
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