By Howard Koplowitz
State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D−Whitestone) is claiming state Sen. Frank Padavan (R−Bellerose) uses a commission that looks after the northeast Queens shoreline to hand out “political patronage jobs.”
The Northeast Queens Nature and Historical Preservation Commission, created through legislation Padavan introduced in 1973, was axed in the state budget last week.
The citizen watchdog group covers the wetlands and bodies of water in northeast Queens, including Udalls Cove, Fort Totten, Alley Pond, the College Point shoreline, Malba, Beechhurst, Bayside and Little Neck Bay Park.
Padavan contends the group helped stave off overdevelopment near Alley Pond and Fort Totten and forced a builder to clean up College Point brownfields.
The senator criticized his colleagues last week, including Stavisky, for not standing up to Gov. David Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D−Manhattan) and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith (D−St. Albans), who agreed to abolish the commission in budget negotiations.
The group, which has nine members, including seven non−paid volunteers, was allocated $120,000 a year. Seven members are appointed by the governor.
Stavisky defended the three state leaders’ decision.
“In past years both Democratic and Republican governors recommended abolishing the commission to save money,” she said in a statement. “In absence of any data to the contrary, and at a time of unprecedented budget deficits, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to perpetuate Frank Padavan’s political patronage jobs seems like an exceedingly poor decision.”
There was speculation that the commission was dismantled because of politics.
Padavan was in a tight re−election battle with City Councilman James Gennaro (D−Fresh Meadows), who lost the race by 485 votes in what was a contentious campaign.
The state budget office did not return calls asking why the commission was killed..
Padavan laughed off Stavisky’s claims, saying that most of the nine commission members are Democrats who have an extensive background on environmental issues, including one who is the director of environmental studies at St. John’s University.
But the senator conceded that commission member Joan Vogt, who is paid a part−time salary, is a Republican. But he noted that she was an original commission member when the group was established in 1973 who had previously fought against overdevelopment as a civic leader.
“I doubt if Stavisky has the foggiest idea of what this commission does,” Padavan said. The commission members “would be seriously insulted to say their actions were political.”
Commission Chairman Bernard Haber, who said he was a registered Democrat, said Stavisky was “talking out of turn.”
“It seems Sen. Stavisky is wrong and not knowledgeable of the work of the commission and its benefits to her community,” he said. “The commission basically stands on its own for its accomplishments over the last 26 years.“
Haber said he believed the commission was abolished for political reasons.
“Obviously, it was a political move to dismantle the commission because I’m sure there are many other commissions throughout the state that are being funded,” he said. “It’s a shame, but I guess that’s just New York state politics.”
State Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn (D−Flushing), another Padavan colleague who the senator criticized for not speaking out about the agreement to eliminate the commission, said she did not defend Padavan “because I never heard of them.”
“I never have,” Mayersohn said. “And College Point is very much my area. Why would I speak up for a group I never heard of doing anything?”
“I really want to know if they’re a patronage thing or if they’re really an active group,” the assemblywoman said, noting that if the group had accomplishments “they would’ve called my office or done something.”
State Assemblywoman Ann Margaret Corrozza (D−Bayside), whom Padavan also mentioned as being silent, could not be reached for comment.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e−mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 173.
