NEW YORK STATE RURAL ADVOCATES

Absentee ballots will determine the winners of two close NYS Senate races. It could be weeks before we know if we have a Republican or Democratic majority in the Senate.  Those races are in 46th State Senate District, where Cece Tkaczyk leads Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, by 139 votes.  Boards can receive absentee and affidavit ballots until Nov. 19.

The close race between incumbent Republican Sen. Steven Saland and challenger (D) Terry Gipson, who is in the lead by 1,600 votes,will prompt a recount.

And then we have the group of four Senators who have grown to five Senators with the newly elected Simcha Felder ) who are Democrats but may choose to vote R. Ah, New York!

Respectuflly cut/pasted from the TU:Democrats had a net gain of one House seat in New York: challengers Dan Maffei and Sean Patrick  Maloney defeated Republican incumbents, but Democratic Rep. Kathy Hochul conceded to Chris Collins in suburban Buffalo. (Post-Standard/Journal News/BN) Reps. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, and Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, beat back close challengers. (TU) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – CLOSE RACES Tally Reporting Tally Reporting Randy Altschuler (R) 48.4 Matt Doheny (R) 48.3 *Tim Bishop (D) 51.6 88.00% Donald Hassig (G) 1.6 *Bill Owens (D) 50.1 93 *Michael Grimm (R) 53 Mark Murphy (D) 46 100% *Ann Marie Buerkle (R) 40 Dan Maffei (D) 51 *Nan Hayworth (R) 48 Ursula Rozum (G) 8 79.00% Sean Patrick Maloney (D) 52 97.00% Maggie Brooks (R) 43 *Chris Gibson (R) 53.44 *Louise Slaughter (D) 57 733 of 783 Julian Schreibman (D) 46.56 94.00% Chris Collins (R) 51 *Kathy Hochul (D) 49 97.00% Democrats finished ahead in three races and were on track to take the state Senate majority. In the Capital Region, Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk is 139 votes ahead of Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam in a race that will be decided by absentee ballots. Terry Gipson eked out a 1,600-vote win in a three–way race for a district currently held by Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie. Monroe County Legislator Ted O’Brien bested Assemblyman Sean Hanna for a Rochester-area seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jim Alesi. (TU/D&C/PoJo) STATE SENATE – CLOSE RACES Tally Reporting Tally Reporting Mike Amodeo (D) 36 Ryan Cronin (D) 49.41 *Mark Grisanti (R) 50 *Kemp Hannon (R) 50.55 206 of 264 Chuck Swanick (C) 12 90.00% Bob Cohen (R) 45 Sean Hanna (R) 48.2 George Latimer (D) 55 82.00% Ted O’Brien (D) 51.8 46.00% Neil DiCarlo (C) 16220 George Amedore (R) 58175 Terry Gipson (D) 49352 Cecilia Tkaczyk (D) 58314 286 of 286 *Steve Saland (R) 47749 100%, 9,000 absentees *Joe Addabbo (D) 56 *Greg Ball (R) 52 Eric Ulrich (R) 44 66.00% Justin Wagner 48 89.00% Control of the state Senate was far from settled, though. Democrats will have to reconcile with the four-member Independent Democratic Conference and ensure that Sen. Simcha Felder, newly elected from Brooklyn, falls in with their ranks. (Post-Standard/CapCon/NYT) Hundreds of students at the University at Albany had problems voting and signed affidavit ballots. This could prove critical in the Tkaczyk-Amedore contest. (TU) Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand won an easy re-election. (TU) Four new Democrats were elected to the Assembly from the Capital Region — Phil Steck, John McDonald, Angelo Santabarbara and Patricia Fahy — while Republican incumbents held on. (TU) How did Cuomo do? He endorsed Queens Sen. Joe Addabbo, who was victorious over New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich, but also recorded a robocall for Saland, who appears to have fallen short. He has planned to be a campaign surrogate for Obama, but Superstorm Sandy interfered. “I would rather do anything rather than see my people go through the pain they’ve been going through over the last week,” Cuomo said of missing a chance to stump for Obama. “I’m sure the president understands.” (CapNY) Theodore Jones, Court of Appeals judge, 68. (AP)

We’ll find out when the absentee ballots are counted, with our new Senate seat race, created as an R district, is currently tied 50:50.   Both Republican George Amedore and Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk are declaring victory with CeCe having a small advantage- 139 votes. Every vote counts!

“With most precincts reporting in unofficial results, it appeared two Republican seats would switch to Democrats leaving the chamber tied 31-31. A new seat was too close to call.

It appeared Stephen Saland, a Republican from Poughkeepsie who voted to support gay marriage, would lose. And in Rochester, Democrat Ted O’Brien appeared to have defeated Sean Hanna. That seat had been held by another Republican who had voted for same-sex marriage.”  The TU Reports “In Brooklyn, Democrat Simcha Felder appeared to beat Republican Sen. David Storobin. And Democrats had not given up hope on Ryan Cronin’s challenge to Republican Sen. Kemp Hannon on Long Island.

Assuming Gipson (Saland’s Seat) and Tkaczyk’s victories are affirmed, if Democratic Sen. Joe Addabbo of Queens bests a challenge from New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich and Democratic Assemblyman George Latimer finishes ahead of Bob Cohen, his GOP challenger, Democrats will have a bare 32-vote majority in the chamber — with a big if.

Mainstream Democrats, who currently number 25, would have to re-unite with the four-member Independent Democratic Conference, which seceded after the 2010 elections and has flirted with Republicans. There’s also concern that Felder might conference with Republicans.”

November 13-14, 2012, The Otesaga Hotel, Cooperstown, NY

Join the Rural Advocates for a discussion of a new fact based advocacy program for community development and affordable housing for rural and upstate NY.

Tuesday, November 13, Otesaga Hotel

Roundtable Begins promptly at 10 AM

Presenter: David M. Muchnick, Vice President for Policy,  NYS Homes and Community Renewal (invited)

Measuring the economic impact of affordable housing and preservation. What tools are available to help us communicate our story?

12:30- 2:00    Buffet Lunch- Otesaga Main Dining Room

2: 00-  5:00   Meeting Resumes

5:30-   7:00   Reception

7:00 PM         Dinner- Main Dining Room

Wednesday, November 14, 9:00- 11   Annual Meeting resumes; adoption of legislative strategy

Register with Advocates:  by sending your name/ company and if you will attend day one only or plan on attending both days by October 30 to ruraladvocates@gmail.com

Attending/ company/ contact information:

email:______________________________________________________________

Please forward meeting registration of $75 made payable to the NYS Rural Advocates. Pay at the door or send to PO Box 104, Blue Mt Lake, NY 12812. Registration covers all gratuities and surcharges at the hotel.

RARP could be used for a purchase/ rehab / resale but how?

Not under CFA

Not under NOFA for multi family tax credit program

see this alert 

We urge you to sign on if you believe this will have a negative impact!

Positive news for upstate cities and their Main Streets

As reported, The Preservation Program was restored plus a “bump”  resulting in $150,000 for each Coalition (same funding as last year) and about a $10,000 plus or minus increase for groups.  There was a three way agreement on this so all need to be thanked. While the Senate and the Assembly agreed to fund restoration, the final bump was provided by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, paid out of the National Mortgage Servicing Settlement Agreement

Subprime Foreclosure Prevention Counselors with existing contracts will get a 6 month extension. The Attorney General’s office provided $9 million to continue funding HCR contracts for the next 6 months, after which, the program will be transferred to the AG’s office.

A press release from the AGs office explains this: (I bold printed the connection between this funding and Preservation Program- ndb) A clear recognition of the critical role RPCs and NPCs play in providing pre and post purchase counseling.

A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN ANNOUNCES UP TO $15 MILLION OF NATIONAL MORTGAGE SETTLEMENT TO EXTEND FUNDING FOR FORECLOSURE PREVENTION AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES

A.G.’s Commitment Will Continue Funding For Legal Services And Housing Counseling For Six Months 

Current Funding Was To Expire On April 1

Schneiderman: Settlement Fight Was To Ensure A Fair Deal For New York Homeowners, Funding Is First Step To Deliver On That Promise

 

NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that up to $15 million of the $132 million he secured in the national mortgage servicing settlement will be used to extend funding for foreclosure prevention and other related services. Up to $9 million of the allocation will be used to support the state’s Foreclosure Prevention Services Program, which was set to expire on April 1. And up to $6 million will support housing and community renewal activities statewide through not-for-profit community-based housing organizations.

“We have an obligation to provide assistance to the struggling homeowners across the state facing foreclosure, and this portion of the national mortgage settlement will ensure that families in New York State have the legal services they deserve to fight wrongful foreclosures and protect themselves in court,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Funding Continue reading →

Thanks to all the information you provided your legislators, the calls, letters, visits and more visits in Albany and in the district, we brought attention to the Preservation Program but to RARP and UI, which got 4 million each in the State budget and 5.2 million for Main Street Revitalization.  I believe Access to Home is funded at 1 Million, but will update as we review the budget bills.

Please thank all your legislators for their support. More when the budget dust settles

The New York State Budget should be in place by April 1, the start of the State Fiscal Year.  The Preservation Program will be funded despite the Governor’s proposed defunding this program.  Both Senate and Assembly truly value the work of community based CDCs, and both understand that they create economic opportunity and creates jobs.  RPC/NPC funding levels have been restored, “plus a little bump”; we anticipate that groups will be funded in the high $60’s.

Rental Assistance has been funded at the level that the Governor proposed, so this year the State’s obligations can be met at $19.6 Million.  We hope to work together with Senator Young this summer, holding public hearings and or fact finding meetings to try to secure the future of this program.