Leadership

Let me start by saying CHANGE is good! Change in the way Albany does business, that is.

After 70 years of Republican control of the State Senate, we are finally reaping the benefit of an educated electorate. This success has ushered in the much needed regime change that eluded the Democrats for so long. With the help of the Obama movement of 2008, we accomplished just that.

We needed to pick up only two seats to gain control of the 62-seat chamber. We now have that slim majority that signaled the philosophical shift of New York voters. Win or lose, I am proud of all those candidates who stood up to the challenge. The whole slate of Democratic candidates were a worthy lot and I am humbled to have been on the campaign trail when the leadership changed.

There is no way to know if the voter turnout will be as high as it was in 2008, but the ticket will have some big names and some serious machines working overtime to guarantee many of the Democrats seeking office. I intend to be one of them in 2010.

There have been changes in state policy as a result of the State Senate races. Under Malcolm Smith's leadership, we have already seen the progressive trend in policy that we can expect from this body for years to come. If we work for it.

Senator Dean Skelos from Nassau County has been minority leader since January 2009, I don't expect that he's happy about that. But He is attempting to reinvigorate the Republican Campaign Committee in order to reverse the trend of losing seats every year. The demographic shift in voter registrations and the push for fresh policy is their biggest hurtle. Unless there is an epiphany of some kind, I'm not expecting the Republican Party to embrace a progressive agenda any time soon.

There have been issues with some of the Democrats in the Senate. No-one is ignorant to the fact that a few of the new majority, are making life uneasy for Malcolm. This is why I intend to join the Democratic majority in 2010 and give them some stability. With your help of course.

We have already witnessed the dynamic change in the way control of the Senate is administered. We acknowledge Malcolm Smiths pledge to wield power differently than the previous majority. For that we are thankful. The New York State Senate no longer resembles the “Good Ol Boys” and “Upstate Vs Down State” mantra of the last century.

If this state is to see any type of economic renaissance, a Democratic majority in the Senate is the key.