Suozzi: Post-Coup Mess Might Do What ‘Fix Albany’ Couldn’t

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi was in Albany today to meet with legislative leaders and implore them to get together and pass legislation key to local governments or risk "devastating" consequences.

Suozzi said he sat down - separately - with Sens. Dean Skelos, John Sampson, and Malcolm Smith. He also met with Gov. David Paterson's chief of staff, Larry Schwartz. Asked why he hadn't reached out to Sen. Pedro Espada Jr., Suozzi replied: "I didn't even think to meet with Pedro Espada."

Just before Suozzi held an impromptu press conference in the hallway outside the Senate chamber, Espada was holding forth in front of the cameras. He had just come out of a meeting with Paterson and Skelos, who also met this morning - also separately - with Smith and Sampson.

It doesn't appear that the meetings got anyone any closer to power-sharing.

Suozzi said he needs legislation to enable a deal he struck with local unions to avoid what he called a "doomsday" budget scenario that would require shutting down county government for 26 days and laying off 700 people - for starters.

He noted that he's just one of the many local elected officials - including Mayor Bloomberg - who are desperate for both houses of the Legislature to pass legislation - from sales tax increases to mayoral control - that is sunsetting at the end of June.

Suozzi's unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2006 was based on two main issues - property tax reform and "fixing" Albany (that was also the name of his PAC, which successfully ousted several incumbent legislators, earning the wrath of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

The county executive today said the point of Fix Albany was to try to encourage voters to end the so-called "incumbency protection plan" that exists at the Capitol - a combination of gerrymandering, lax campaign finance rules and the to-down power structure - and results in a 98 percent re-election rate for state lawmakers.

Suozzi, who insisted that he doesn't "plan" on running for governor next year (he's seeking re-election this fall, and has been floated as a possible 2010 statewide candidate - maybe for LG or even AG) suggested that the coup fallout might actually succeed where Fix Albany failed.

"I think that people are at the breaking point because, Number One: They're dissatisfied generally with the things they see happening to them," Suozzi said. "We've now successfully tied property taxes to state dysfunction."

"Now the dysfunction is not just an insiders' game...it's clear as day for everybody to see. So it's likely if people can attach the things that are happening in their real life to this dysfunction, then you will see an impact on the electoral process."