Levy stirs up new political drama in New York State
January 7, 2010 By DAN JANISON dan.janison@newsday.com


Photo credit: Patrick E. McCarthy | Suffolk County Executive Levy speaks about reforming the Rockefeller drug laws. (Jan. 6, 2010)

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ALBANY - Fresh from his first trip here as an "exploratory" candidate for governor, Suffolk Executive Steve Levy described his public clash this week with Latino legislators as "a sideshow" that was "not unexpected."

As those back home have come to expect, Levy is staying on the rhetorical offensive as this particular drama makes its first run on a statewide stage.

Assemb. Phil Ramos, Suffolk Legis. Ricardo Montano, and others cited what they presented as examples of Levy, a fellow Democrat, allegedly enabling ethnic division. In a press statement, Assemb. Adam Clayton Powell IV even called Levy a "white supremacist."

Levy disputed and denounced such claims - and accused his detractors of illegal conduct. He noted the media advisory issued in advance of his foes' news conference here Wednesday said: "Hispanic lawmakers will announce that any supporters of Steve Levy will be considered persona non grata on issues by state-level lawmakers."

On the phone Thursday, Levy read aloud from part of Section 73 of the Public Officers Law, which bars state officials from asking prospective grantees or contractors about contributions to a candidate.

"So they're not just saying that if you contribute to Steve Levy, we're going to boycott," the second-term county executive concluded. "The insinuation is, if you are involved in a nonprofit agency that gets funding from the state, and were to work with me in some way, you'd be cut off."

Levy drove into this controversy with an edge. He said Hispanic lawmakers also tried to intimidate Kirsten Gillibrand when she was first appointed to the Senate, for having opposed illegal immigration in Congress even as Latino constituents generally oppose it, too. These officials were "out of touch" in supporting the aborted 2007 plan to issue driver's licenses to the undocumented, he said. "I am one official who doesn't back down to intimidation from special interests, political leaders and the corrupt Albany establishment."

Broadly dismissing Levy's allegations, Ramos (D-Central Islip) replied: "I would have thought Mr. Levy would be able to come up with a better smoke screen than this to get attention off himself. This is another incident that demonstrates Mr. Levy is an emotional and irrational public official . . . Residents of New York State should carefully observe Steve Levy's actions and ask, 'Do we want another person who thinks he's a steamroller as a governor?' What we need now is a consensus builder."

No love lost there. Levy said earlier: "Phil Ramos is a race-baiter who will label you as a racist if you use the term 'illegal alien' rather than 'undocumented immigrant.' "

Levy offered a different take on what the state needs. Reminded of his former Nassau counterpart Thomas Suozzi's loss in the 2006 gubernatorial primary, Levy countered that Suozzi "was running at a different time.

"The issue this year - the only issue this year - is the fiscal integrity of a state that's about to go bankrupt, and is there a managing savior who can bring us back to health. I think I've got the best resume to do it," he said. "That kind of skill-set might not have played so well two years ago and it might not two years from now. But right now, it may just be perfect. That's why I decided to look into this."

One milestone is expected at the end of the month when Levy, who says he hasn't yet decided to run, is due to speak before the Conservative Party's state committee.

But Levy is already out and about in the rest of New York - and people outside his customary borders have begun taking notice.

This new and wider drama has just begun.