Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 11:27:18 -0500 From: David B. O'Donnell To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: NY: The George and Alfonse Show [ Send all responses to OBRIENM@DELPHI.COM only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] The George and Alfonse Show Begins by Jean Sidebottom "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." If such an adage has any truth, then Senator Alfonse D'Amato may actually be nailed for something fairly soon. From "Senator Pothole" to "King Maker" is a fairly powerful step for one "off-year election." Known since his first election as the man who "got things done," D'Amato has gained the support of his constituency with his policy of making the "little people at home" happy. This meant that if you had a problem with a government agency, any agency, then you could call D'Amato's staff and they would help you take care of it. Ranging from potholes in front of your driveway to problems with the postal service, a call to D'Amato's own "Shame on You" program got results."You should call Senator D'Amato's office" is a piece of advice that is frequently given in response to those expressing frustrations with dealing with the bureaucracy. What it also did was keep the votes coming in. D'Amato also was known by his constituents for his ability to get New York State its fair share of federal dollars ranging from Grumman Corp. to Unisys. D'Amato used his influence in his various committee seats to keep money coming into New York. It also kept the votes coming in for him. As the Republican Party takes over the Hill in Washington and the governorship in Albany, D'Amato has been crowned the King Maker, and been given full credit for the dethroning of the once considered invulnerable Democrat, Mario Cuomo. It was D'Amato's strong support of Republican George Pataki that was responsible for his election as governor. D'Amato used his statewide and national influence first to gain Pataki's nomination for the Republican Party, and then staked his own political career on Pataki's successful run for governor. In the melee that has followed, Nassau County Republican leadership and the State Senate majority leadership have changed, both going to D'Amato's Pataki supporters. As D'Amato's powerbase has been enlarged significantly, it will be of great interest in political circles to see what control he will have over our new New York State government. State Republican Party leaders had earlier accused Pataki about being D'Amato's puppet, without any political agenda other than what was given to to him. Now as Pataki takes office, members of both parties are looking to discover what we can expect from his first year in office. According to Paula Ettebrick, legal counsel for the Empire Pride Agenda, D'Amato's effect on state policy will be "interesting". "We really don't know what impact D'Amato will have on the shape of things to come. He is certainly one who has incredible support throughout the state. Actually he is kind of an odd character. We know that he Has historically cast votes which were Anti-gay and anti-choice, and then he did this switch over gays in the military. No one knows what that came from. Whether he was touched by someone close, or even if this change is a permanent shift of position. We have no way of knowing. What we can readily predict is that there will be a fair amount of nastiness. I mean, D'Amato is well known for being a nasty player, nasty politics. There will certainly be a payback for those who didn't support Pataki. And certainly that will effect the gay community. Governor George Pataki's first acts of selecting staff and appointments give us the first clear indications of what we can expect within the opening year of his governorship. For the gay and lesbian community the outlook can only be called bleak. Ettebrick sees substantial cuts in social services, services which many have taken for granted. "Many communities, gay included, are going to wake up shortly in this administration and find out how lucky we have been. We already see cuts on HIV AIDS issues coming. We also can predict such community agencies as The Hetrick Martin Institute, The Gay and Lesbian Community Center, agencies which have been heavily dependent upon state money, are going to see severe cuts. That money has been an important part of what has allowed the community to begin to address the base line issues important to our movement." "Another thing to look at is (Joe) Bruno, the newly elected Senate Majority Leader. Even if Pataki were to cut taxes and simply cut funding, this man's (Bruno) agenda seems to go beyond that to one which is one decidedly anti-gay and anti-woman. When it comes time for these cuts to happen, it will not be hard choices (for Bruno)." "On the other hand, Pataki historically was someone to whom reason could appeal. He was someone who did take some minor steps to education within the Republican Conference for the civil rights bill. Of course, he has since backed off; probably because constituents were not exactly supporters of the bill."If some miracle were to happen and such a bill would pass the legislature, we could reasonably expect a probable veto." "The question that we at the Pride Agenda are asking is: how far will he go to actively hurt the gay and lesbian movement?" He has publicly stated that he was working against domestic partnership benefits. Governor Cuomo had approved health benefits for non-union employees' domestic partners. It is fair to assume that Pataki will unilaterally withdraw that benefit from those employees." "Union workers will be renegotiating their contracts this year. It is possible that Pataki will sit down and remove from these benefits from the bargaining table. The question then becomes, how firm is rank and file support of our benefits? We have our work cut out for us to just make sure that rank and file stands behind us. We can't be sure where they will fall. It is a fact that a smaller package will be offered to state employees. It is reasonable to think that domestic partnership could become a chip easily given up." "One of our biggest concerns is that Pataki will withdraw Executive Order 28. The Order not just bans discrimination of state workers, it also bans discrimination in provision of state services. The practical result is that state workers will not have an avenue to complain about unfair treatment. The symbolic effect may be even greater." "If he did nothing and let it (Order 28) stand, he would appear magnanimous. If he chooses to withdraw the order, that really exhibits particular hostility to gays/lesbians. It is not that it is costly; not that enforcement costs a great deal of money; there is nothing wrong with the order per se. He is on record that he believes that we shouldn't be discriminated against, it is just that he doesn't believe that there should be a law against it." Libby Post, a long-time Albany political activist, is even more wary of what may come in these first few months. "I expect that we will see the shell that George Pataki is. His campaign had no issues, no politics; his issue was Mario Cuomo, death penalty, and taxes. Unfortunately, many people, including members of our own community, got caught up m the'no more taxes' thing and voted their pocketbook." "I think we will see that his decisions will echo whoever closest to him. Michael Long, the Conservative Party leader, on one side and Joe Bruno. the newly elected State Senate majority leader on the other, bodes very badly for our community, "Bruno, according to all records, is one of the most openly homophobic members of the New York State government. Post predicts that not only will we not see any favorable legislation coming out of Albany far the next four years, but probably we also will see setbacks."We will be back where we were in 1980 where they will even be afraid to say the words." Specifically, Post predicts that Executive Order 28 will be rescinded almost immediately after the switch in power. Order 28 bans discrimination based on sexual orientation within state employment and service delivery. As is the case with political appointees"serving at the pleasure of, "executive orders are systematically reviewed by newly elected governors. According to Albany watchers, Michael Long has already begun his lobby to Pataki to rescind the 12-year-old order. Many believe that it will be a "easy" payback to Long for his support over Republican rivals. In addition to the executive order, Post expects major cutbacks in AIDS funding."The newly elected Lt. Governor Betsy McCaughey has expressed the opinion that since AlDS is spread through immoral and illegal activity, then state funding would be better spent by giving more funding to other agencies. There are some who question as to whether or not the AIDS Institute will even be around by year' s end. If it is there at all, there will be major bloodletting." "Domestic partnership is another item on which we will see slippage, "Post predicts. The state union contracts come up for renewal in April. "In many cases, the union leadership has not been that firm in their support of our issues. It will probably become a bargaining chip, one that will be fairly easy for the union to let go. They have to deal with the homophobia of their rank and file members. So on April 1, the contracts come up. For instance, insurance coverage for domestic partners exists now, but it is only good through April 1. We could be without medical insurance then." One small silver lining in this cloud of expectations is that because we, as a community, had become somewhat complacent in our expectations overt challenges to even the status quo may provoke a reawakening of our political consciousness. "For many of us living in New York, we have operated as though the religious right weren't a threat to us. We now will be hard at work to maintain the rights that we have." As an optimist at heart, I suggested that this loss of complacency may work to our long term advantage, Paula concurred, "Yes, in the long term, I think we will be fine, it's just that we have to go through this dark period to get there, together."