WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey. February 8, 2010, UPDATED 12:10 P.M. E.S.T.: The Robert Castelli campaign for the 89th Assembly district seat vacated by Adam Bradley (when he was elected Mayor of White Plains) has enjoyed the support of the New York State Republican Committee on an unprecedented level for an Assembly Race.
Peter Harckham, left, and Bob Castelli, right, on the Lohud.com internetcast of the Editorial Board's interview with the candidates on issues. Mr. Harckham and Mr. Castelli each said there was a need to reform Albany. They each said they wanted to consolidate departments and cut costs of state government.
They differred on property tax issues: Harckham said he supported a Circuit Breaker bill to cut property taxes proportionately based on income (though the effects of that bill have never been fully explained by the legislature), while Castelli favored eliminating the Triboro Amendment (that automatically extends union contractors' contracts), and the Wickes Law. Harckham stood on his record as voting in support of cutting the county budget and the county legislature budget.
Harckham told WPCNR he would sponsor a 1/4% sales tax increase to help the current White Plains city budget in distress, while Castelli said he would not immediately support such an increase, unless he was assured the city had done all it could to cut its costs.
The Democratic Party is also pulling out the stops to elect Peter Harckham the Democrat from Katonah-Lewisboro, their latest efforts include a robo-call from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Monday, urging voters to support Mr. Harckham. Monday's Republican Robo-Call "celebrity" has not made his or her debut yet. Mr. Cuomo's recorded message is in addition to a recorded message from White Plains Mayor, Adam Bradley which went out Friday.
The race has been the subject of three polls trying to ascertain the mood of the electorate. The polls apparently tried to gauge the strength of Mr.Castelli among voters.
The Special Election in one of the county's most affluent districts is held tomorrow throughout the 89th district.
Judging by the way the Democrats have been sending out flyers in support of Mr. Harckham and generating robocalls (including one from Adam Bradley), a personal letter from Mr. Bradley, and a hand-delivered flyer touting Mr. Harckham’s media endorsements, the Democrats may be worried. The mailings, one of which touted Mr.Harckham as a supporter of “pro-choice” appear to me making an effort togalvanize the White Plains Democratic base which re-elected Mr. Bradley into the seat by a 25,000-17,000 vote over Castelli four years ago. Mr. Bradley had no opposition in his rerun for the seat in 2007.
On the other hand, the New York State Republican Committee is spending on Mr.Castelli as if he were Henry Cabot Lodge, Nelson Rockefeller, and the late Senator Jacob Javitts. Do the Republicans smell blood in the water? Does their polling show Castelli strong against Harckham?
Mayor Adam Bradley called to correct WPCNR and point out that in that 2005 election against Mr. Castelli which Bradley won, the Republicans spent $350,000, the second highest amount spent in an Assembly Race in the state that year. Bradley said he was "heavily targeted" that year.
Consider that the Republicans are aiming at White Plains Democratic voters with robocalls from newly elected “reformer” County Executive Rob Astorino who asked voters on Friday to give him “an ally” in Albany in Mr. Castelli. Former Governor George Pataki, in a rare political effort, called Democratic voters on Saturday, assuring voters Mr.Castelli is the man needed to “clean up Albany.”
On Sunday, White Plains’ own Bob Hyland, New York Giants/Green Bay Packers legend, called on Super Bowl Day encouraging Democratic voters to send Mr. Castelli to Albany to cut taxes and support small business and lower property taxes. Hyland narrowly lost (on absentee ballots) to Bill Ryan in Mr. Hyland’s challenge of Ryan for County Legislator District 5 representing White Plains last November. Hyland was targeted by a mailing alluding to tax problems and past incidents at a former restaurant location where Mr. Hyland did business which angered a lot of voters.
The Democrats have sent out flyers almost matching the Republicans’ furor, including a personal letter from White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley, and robocalls from Mr. Bradley in support of Harckham.
Can robocalls from Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and Kristen Gillebrand be expected today in support of Mr. Harckham, to counter the Republican effort for “reform” and “tax-cutting?” Stand by your telephone.
Meantime in White Plains, the polls open tomorrow at 6 A.M. and are open until 9 P.M. at the following polling places for the 89th Assembly District:
Here are the locations where White Plainsians vote tomorrow by election district,furnished by the White Plains City Clerk. If you have any question what election district you vote in, contact the Board of Elections at 995-5700
Eastview Middle School: Districts 19, 20, 24, 26
George Washington School: Districts 18, 27
German School: Districts 1 & 14
Highlands Middle School: Districts 5,6,7,12
Mamaroneck Avenue School: Districts 3, 11,8
Recreation Department: District 4
Ridgeway School: Districts 9, 13
Solomon Schecter School: Districts 10, 15
St. Bernards: District 42
Presbyterian Church: District 23
White Plains High School: District 2
Note: In the first edition of this article, WPCNR had indicated that Mr. Castelli had not received strong financial support in the race he lost to Mr. Bradley in 2005. Mr. Bradley contact WPCNR to point out that Republicans spend the second largest expenditure of all assembly races that year, $350,000.
