House Speaker John Boehner (r.) accompanied by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, holds a copy of a proposal to repeal the Health Care Bill during news conference earlier this year. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Hundreds of thousands of residents from northeast Queens would be negatively affected by the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote last week to repeal the sweeping health-care reform that became law last year, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) said.

The House voted 245-189 for the repeal, including every Republican House member and three Democrats. No New York representative voted for it and Democrats have widely criticized the move, which they say would remove coverage for millions of Americans but which Republicans have said is necessary to control health-care costs.

“I’m not just voting no, I’m voting heck no,” Ackerman said of the bill. “Republicans and Democrats should be working together to figure out how to make things better. You don’t make things better by taking away these critical and necessary health benefits.”

While the House passed the measure, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he does not plan to bring the bill for a vote in the Senate. In the unlikely case that the bill made its way past the Democratic Senate, President Barack Obama would not be expected to sign the bill since health care reform was a major component of his campaign and a feat for his administration.

The health-care law approved last year was designed to provide health insurance for more than 30 million Americans, in part by expanding Medicaid and providing federal subsidies to allow Americans who could not previously afford coverage to buy private insurance.

“We’re committing an immoral act by repealing the health-care law,” Ackerman said.

If the repeal nullified the health-care law, as many as 311,000 — which includes up to 37,000 children — of Ackerman’s constituents could be denied health insurance because of pre-existing conditions, according to the Queens lawmaker. Ackerman’s district covers northeast Queens, including Bayside, Douglaston, Fresh Meadows, Flushing, Jamaica Estates, Little Neck and Whitestone and portions of Nassau County on Long Island.

About 69,000 residents in his district who received health care because of the reform law would lose their insurance, the legislator said.

Up to 14,200 small businesses in his district could lose their tax credits for providing health care, according to Ackerman

“We’ve been hearing from small businesses who are very, very concerned,” Ackerman said.

About 2,400 college students and graduates in Ackerman’s coverage area would no longer be covered by their parents’ health plan until they are 26 years old, according to the legislator.

Many other Queens legislators also slammed the House bill, including Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) and Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights.)

“Throughout the more than yearlong debate over health-care reform, Republicans never offered an alternative plan of their own,” Weiner said. “Now, they pass a bill to repeal health care and instead of offering up their own proposal, they say, ‘Let’s have the committees try to figure this all out.’”

Republicans have formed a committee to look into how to change health care, including what House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said were efforts to lower health-care premiums and reform the medical liability system.

“The American people deserve a thorough and forward-looking discussion of the health-care law’s impact on our economy and how best to replace it with reforms that reflect their priorities,” Boehner said in a statement.

Crowley said on the floor before the vote that he was vehemently opposed to the repeal.

“This is called the Harry Houdini health strategy,” Crowley said. “Now you have health insurance, now you don’t. This bill is clearly wrong.”

City Comptroller John Liu (l.) speaks at the Jefferson Democratic Club in Bayside last week. Photo by Anna Gustafson

City Comptroller John Liu dismissed a question about running for mayor at the Jefferson Democratic Club’s first meeting in Bayside last week.

“I don’t think about it,” Liu said after being asked about aspirations to run for mayor at the club’s meeting at the Clearview Golf Course Clubhouse at 202-12 Willets Point Blvd. Jan. 13.

Liu mocked a Dec. 31 Wall Street Journal article that reported he would like to run for U.S. president if the U.S. Constitution allowed it. He was born in Taiwan and is barred from seeking the nation’s highest office.

“The reporter kept asking and asking if I wanted to run for mayor,” Liu said. “After the 10th time, I joked I’d run for president. After that, I see the headline: ‘Liu has presidential aspirations.’”

Liu, a former city councilman from Flushing, kicked off the Jefferson Democratic Club’s first meeting of the year. The Flushing resident has not said whether he is running for mayor nor disclosed any fund-raising activity. Only former Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, the comptroller before Liu, has officially declared a bid for the 2013 mayoral race.

There is speculation other candidates in the race could be U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan).

While at the Jefferson Democratic Club’s meeting, Liu discussed a couple of highlights from his past year, including his office’s recent work that helped to uncover fraud in the CityTime payroll, a software system that was meant to keep track of city employees’ hours. Federal investigators in December charged CityTime consultants and their relatives with fraud and said they allegedly bilked the city of $80 million by steering contracts to businesses they controlled and used some of that money for themselves.

Bayside resident Joel Bondy, the former executive director of the city Office of Payroll Administration, resigned at the end of December from his position, for which he oversaw the CityTime project.

Liu also noted his office, in a 2010 audit, identified $120 million that was “inappropriately” retained by the city Economic Development Corp. in past years.

“This ranks up there as one of my favorites,” Liu said. “The EDC withheld money that should’ve gone into the city’s treasury, but they kept all that money. Well, they’re giving it back now.”

The shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (pictured) prompted U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman to introduce legislation that aims to prevent convicted felons from buying guns without a background check. AP Photo/Office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) has joined the chorus of lawmakers calling for tighter arms control after a gunman in Arizona shot a U.S. congresswoman in the head and killed six others, including a federal judge and the 9-year-old granddaughter of a former New York Mets manager.

The congressman last week introduced legislation, entitled the Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act, which aims to prevent individuals from buying guns without background checks. He is among a group of lawmakers from throughout the area who are calling for the federal government to better regulate firearm sales, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Reps. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Garden City) and Peter King (R-Massapequa Park).

A loophole in the law currently allows gun dealers with revoked licenses to sell their firearms to buyers without background checks in unregulated inventory clearance sales, Ackerman said.

“It’s clear that Congress must close troubling loopholes in federal gun control laws that let firearms fall into the hands of convicted felons, fugitives, domestic violence perpetrators and severely emotionally disturbed individuals,” Ackerman said. “Every gun sold should require a background check — period.”

Because of this loophole, Ackerman said gun dealers whose licenses have been revoked for violating federal law may legally convert their stash of firearms and label it a “personal collection,” which allows them to sell the weapons without undergoing background checks because they are no longer considered licensed dealers.

The Bayside lawmaker’s proposed law comes after Jared Lee Loughner, 22, of Arizona allegedly shot and killed six people and wounded 14, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), whom investigators said was allegedly the target of the attack at a supermarket in Tucson, Ariz., Jan. 8. Among those who died were federal Judge John M. Roll and 9-year-old Christina Green, the granddaughter of Dallas Green, who managed the Mets from 1993-96.

Bloomberg has thrown his support behind Ackerman’s bill.

“We need common sense, effective policies to close gaps in the background check system and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and other dangerous people,” Bloomberg said. “The fire sales loophole is one of those dangerous gaps. Pharmacists who lose their licenses can’t sell prescription drugs to people without prescriptions, yet gun dealers who lose their licenses can sell off their inventory without even conducting background checks. Along with more than 550 members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, I support Rep. Ackerman’s bill to fix this glaring gap in the federal background check system.”

Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, also said he backed Ackerman’s proposal.

“It’s time for Congress to stop this reckless end-run around background checks that makes it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons,” Helmke said.

State Sen. Tony Avella has been appointed the ranking minority member of the Cities and Environmental Protection Committees. Photo by Christina Santucci

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) is one of three freshmen Democratic senators to be appointed as ranking minority members of legislative committees in Albany, Sen. Democratic Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) announced last week.

Avella, who represents the 11th Senate District, is the ranking member for the Democrats of the Cities and Environmental Protection committees and will serve on the Education, Aging and Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs committees.

“As a freshman senator, it is an honor to have been tasked to serve on five committees and to be a ranking member on two,” Avella said. “As ranking member, I will be the point person for the members of my conference on bills that will go before my committees. This will allow me to point out any problems or flaws pertaining to a particular bill to emphasize the importance of specific legislation.”

The other new Democrats who were appointed ranking members were Sens. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and Tim Kennedy (D-Erie County). Gianaris will head the Codes Committee and Kennedy will lead the Commerce, Economic Development and Commerce Committee.

Ranking members review all bills that go before their respective committees and serve as the authority to whom other committee members can direct questions regarding the bills. Ranking members are also influential in the appointment of new commissioners for state agencies.

After being sworn into office in the beginning of January, Avella, who toppled former Republican Sen. Frank Padavan in November’s election, said he planned to focus on the state budget and ethics reform.

“I’m worried about how the budget cuts will impact everybody — in the state, in New York City, in Queens and in my district,” Avella said last week. “Will the discretionary funds, which the nonprofits depend upon, be cut like they were last year?”

A number of Queens lawmakers landed leadership positions in a number of committees. Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) is the ranking Democratic of banks, Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) was appointed the minority party’s leader of the Ethics and the Mental Health and Development Disabilities committees, Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), is the ranking minority member of the Higher Education Committee, for which she had served as chairwoman when Democrats were in the majority, Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) is the ranking member of the Labor Committee and Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) is the ranking member of the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee.

“The economic crisis of the last two years has demonstrated to all New Yorkers that government cannot function as it always has,” Sampson said in a statement announcing the ranking members. “In order to create jobs and rebuild our economy, we need to do things differently. Our conference is taking that approach to governance by championing ethics, budget and redistricting reform.”

State Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (l. to r.), his girlfriend Stephanie Stern, and Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman spend time at Braunstein's swearing-in ceremony at the state Court of Appeals in Albany last week. Photo courtesy of Braunstein's office

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) said they were focusing on the state budget and ethics reform after being sworn into office last week.

“I’m worried about how the budget cuts will impact everybody — in the state, in New York City, in Queens and in my district,” said Avella, who holds the 11th Senate District seat previously occupied by former Sen. Frank Padavan for nearly four decades. “Will the discretionary funds, which the nonprofits depend upon, be cut like they were last year?”

Braunstein, who represents the 26th Assembly District, also said he was concerned about the $10 billion budget deficit the state now faces and how it will affect Queens.

“We have to make sure there are acceptable cuts,” said Braunstein, who sits in the seat once held by former Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza. “I don’t want to see cuts to senior citizens.”

The two lawmakers from northeast Queens also said ethics reform would be a major issue alongside the budget, and Avella said he and other state senators were sponsoring a package of reform bills that would form an independent redistricting commission and strengthen laws that would mandate lawmakers to disclose sources of outside income.

“We’re calling upon the Legislature, including the Republican majority, to move ahead quickly with this,” Avella said.

Braunstein and Avella were officially sworn in Jan. 4, though they will hold their own inauguration ceremonies in their districts later this month. Braunstein will hold his at 12 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the Auburndale American Legion Hall at 198-09 33rd Ave., and Avella will hold his Jan. 30 at 1 p.m. at Queensborough Community College at 222-05 56th Ave. in Bayside. City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) will be the master of ceremonies at Avella’s event and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will perform the invocation.

Both legislators said they were pleased with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address, and Braunstein threw his support behind the governor’s call to carve funds from Medicaid.

“I’m happy the governor is pushing cuts to Medicaid,” Braunstein said. “This is something I campaigned on. The goal is to cut $2 billion from Medicaid.”

Avella said he believed the state could gain revenues if New York legalized sports betting.

“I’m going to try to reinvigorate that issue,” Avella said.

The two lawmakers also agreed that they would fight for resources for schools in their districts during the budget process, and Braunstein said he was prioritizing curbing overcrowding in classrooms.

Avella said he planned to oppose the city’s plan to close Jamaica High School.

“I’m taking the lead against this,” said Avella, who noted the fight may include a lawsuit against the city.

“Jamaica High School neighborhood students are treated like second-class citizens,” Avella said. “Their class sizes are much bigger, they don’t have technology, they don’t have the resources the other students are given.

Underneath mounds of snow are bags of trash as well as a car. Garbage collection has begun again after being suspended for several days due to the snow. Photo by Christina Santucci

As piles of black garbage bags joined the dwindling snow piles left from the Christmas weekend blizzard, the mayor and other officials promised to find out what caused the serious delays in street plowing in Queens as well as the possibility of deliberate sabotage by city workers.

The Council was slated to hold a special hearing Jan. 10 to investigate the city’s handling of the Dec. 26 storm that left 16 inches of snow at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to the National Weather Service. City leaders said they will take a strong look at the allegation that sanitation workers intentionally avoided plowing side streets in Queens.

City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said streets in parts of Bayside, Whitestone and College Point had still not been plowed as late as four days after the storm, leaving many residents unable to get to work or receive medical attention.

“They lost heat. We have numerous residents who couldn’t go to work, and many of these people are not salaried employees,“ Halloran said during a conference call last Thursday.

In addition to the snow covered roads, residents had to deal with their trash piling up on their curbs since garbage pickup was suspended all of last week.

Halloran said five city workers, including two Department of Transportation and three Sanitation Department employees assigned to Queens, told him the day before that they were asked by supervisors “to take their time” plowing roads because the “mayor’s office doesn’t care about them.”

“When they reported for duty, they were told to wait for instructions to park in particular areas, and they’d be given instructions for which secondary streets to plow,” Halloran said. “Some sat for six to eight hours and were not given instructions which secondary streets to plow.”

The workers told Halloran they were ordered to do this because of cuts the mayor made to the city Sanitation Department. In the last two years, 400 workers were cut from the agency and 100 department supervisors’ salaries were reduced in late 2010.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg who toured Queens streets last Thursday along with Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty, said he did not believe the meeting between Halloran and the workers happened.

“It would be an outrage if it took place,” Bloomberg said at a news conference at St. Albans.

Former Gov. David Paterson also called for an investigation into the allegations, and Doherty said his department would also look into the matter.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said his office is also working with Halloran and the city’s Department of Investigation.

“At this point, however, we have not reached any conclusions as to whether a formal investigation is warranted,” he said in a statement.

The mayor, who initially said the Sanitation Department did a good job a day after the storm, backtracked during the news conference and called the response unacceptable.

“Nobody is satisfied. We’re accountable, I’m accountable,” he said.

Queens elected officials sounded off against Bloomberg and the Sanitation Department for their response, saying they put thousands of lives in danger.

Streets throughout the outer boroughs were unplowed or under-plowed for days, and state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) said a Corona woman, Yvonne Freeman, died and a three-month-old baby was left brain dead because emergency responders could not reach them in time due to impassable streets.

Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) said the street outside his southeast Queens home was not plowed for more than 48 hours after the snow first came down. He added that his office received several calls from constituents who had problems, including a dozen who could not leave their homes.

Borough President Helen Marshall gave the sharpest criticism to the mayor immediately after he introduced her at the end of the conference. She said it was imperative that the city brought the plows to clear streets that were used by the borough’s bus lines because no one could get their cars out of their homes.

“Nearly every single community has called asking ‘Where is the plow?’” she said

State Sen.-elect Tony Avella (l.) and state Assemblyman David Weprin plan to sponsor legislation that would require a public hearing and a vote by the City Council before a candidate could become schools chancellor. Photo courtesy of David Weprin's office

State Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck) and state Sen.-elect Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said this week they plan to introduce a bill that would require a future nomination of a city schools chancellor to be confirmed by a majority vote of the City Council after a public hearing.

The proposal stemmed from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s recent decision to replace outgoing Schools Chancellor Joel Klein with Hearst Magazines Chairwoman Cathie Black.

“There was such a lack of transparency,” Weprin said of the appointment. “The public didn’t have an opportunity to hear from the nominee or to testify.”

Weprin and Avella are expected to introduce the bill when the state Legislature reconvenes in January.

“Unfortunately, we can only go forward,” Avella said. “It can’t be retroactive. It won’t affect Cathie Black’s appointment as chancellor.” The legislation would require a public hearing before a chancellor could be approved. In addition, a majority vote by the Council would need to occur before a chancellor could be ushered in as the leader of the city’s public school system.

“This would give the public the chance to testify on the nominee, to hear from the nominee and allow parents, teachers, academics, community leaders, civic leaders and anyone else an opportunity to get involved in the process and hear from the nominee,” Weprin said.

Queens and city politicians, including Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), have criticized the way Bloomberg chose Black and said it was a process during which he did not consult city legislators, educators or parents.

“I was not happy with this nomination,” said Stavisky, chairwoman of the Senate’s committee on higher education. “It was clouded in secrecy. There was no national search. The fact that she lacked experience was very, very troubling.”

Bloomberg announced last month that he had picked Black to replace Klein, who resigned after eight years with the Bloomberg administration. Black is expected to resign from her position as chairwoman of Hearst Magazines before she begins her new job in January, a DOE spokeswoman said.

Because she had no background in public education, state law mandated that Black had to receive a waiver from state Education Commissioner David Steiner. Steiner granted the waiver, though with the condition that she appoint a chief academic officer with a background in education. Black tapped city Deputy Chancellor Shael Polakow-Suransky for the position. Polakow-Suransky has spent time as a teacher and principal.

“I still believe Black should not be chancellor,” Avella said. “Clearly the mayor should have some control over the [city] Department of Education, but there needs to be more oversight by the City Council and state Legislature.”

Mayor of Sandanski Andon Totev (l. to r.), Councilman Dan Halloran and Order, Law and Justice Party Chairman Yane Yanev meet in Bulgaria while Halloran toured the country last week. Photo courtesy of Dan Halloran's office

City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) threw his support behind the Order, Law and Justice Party in Bulgaria last week when he was invited by the center-right political group to tour the southern European country.

The Order, Law and Justice Party, the smallest of the six parties to be represented in the Bulgarian legislature, paid for Halloran’s plane ticket and hotel costs for the eight-day trip to the Balkan nation. While in the country, he lectured on topics of constitutional reform in Bulgaria, law and transparency in government.

“We got to travel all around the country and really got a feel for the place that is about the size of New York and population-wise the size of New York City,” Halloran said. “It’s a post-Communist country where half the buildings are these beautiful, pre-19th century buildings and the other half are these horrible Communist-era buildings with brick and beam systems showing. It was unbelievable.”

The councilman said he has become a big supporter of the Order, Law and Justice Party because of what party members say are its commitment to exposing and breaking up corruption in the former Communist country, which held its first elections in 1990. Halloran was first introduced to members of the party when they traveled to Washington, D.C., and then New York City earlier this year. He noted there is not a large Bulgarian community in his district.

“Bulgaria picked me, I didn’t really pick Bulgaria,” Halloran said.

After spending time with the party’s leader, Yane Yanev, Halloran and Yanev kept in touch and the party soon asked Halloran if he would be willing to come to Bulgaria.

“Freedom of press, freedom of speech, these are things that are not in their constitution,” Halloran said. “You could be arrested and detained for being in opposition to the government. The party is calling for constitutional reform. They want to ensure there’s a bill of rights and transparency in government. Their prime minister now was the bodyguard to the last Communist dictator.”

The Queens politician said he hoped he could “educate them and give them guidance.”

During his trip, Halloran met up with the American ambassador to Bulgaria, James Warlick, whom he criticized as having too close ties with the country’s ruling party.

“The government operates in total secrecy,” Halloran said. “Nothing at all is transparent to the average Bulgarian.”

Halloran said he expects to return to Bulgaria.

“I wanted to broaden my horizons,” Halloran said of the trip. “I had a narrow view of the world growing up in New York my whole life. I don’t think people realize how much we take for granted our liberties, our freedoms. It’s eye-opening.”

Before the start of the ceremony at York College, Ruben Wills (c.) and his wife Marcia receive a blessing from religious leaders. Photo by Nat Valentine

“Did you hear that?” City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) asked Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), laughing. “United States Sen. Chuck Schumer said District 28 — let me repeat, District 28 — was going to be the best district in this city.”

Wills was joking with Comrie, Wills’ mentor, who represents the nearby 27th District, after Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke at the new legislator’s inauguration ceremony Saturday, but Schumer like a bevy of other elected officials did indeed heap praise on the new legislator. From congressional representatives to Council members, Queens and city residents praised Wills as a civic activist who would help to make southeast Queens the pride and joy of the borough.

And, yes, Schumer did say Wills would help to make District 28 one of the best in the city — and state.

“It’s a great day for southeast Queens,” Schumer said. “You have chosen someone who knows the community, who’ll get things done.”

Hundreds of people turned out for Wills’ inauguration ceremony at York College Saturday afternoon, and many of them described the new legislator as someone who understands the inner workings of the community and will always fight for it. Wills, who grew up in South Jamaica, won the Nov. 2 special election for the seat held by Councilman Thomas White until his death in August. White’s son, Brian White, attended Saturday’s nearly four-hour ceremony.

U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), state Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Jamaica) and Comrie all said they immediately knew they wanted Wills to win the seat after White died and said they worked together, making phone calls and knocking on doors, to make sure it happened.

“He takes the place of a great friend of mine, this community and this city,” Crowley said. “Tom White is missed. You’re filling the shoes of a decent, honest human being, and those are the biggest kinds of shoes to fill. I think Ruben Wills is up to the task.”

The tributes to Wills were nearly endless Saturday, with heavy hitters from the community saying they looked forward to working with him and seeing what he would do for the community, including U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and former Councilman Archie Spigner.

“This young man knows how to stand up and represent this community,” Meeks said.

A community activist who grew up in southeast Queens was one of seven candidates who ran in the election and won with 3,347 votes, about 31 percent of the total count. Wills has worked with a number of legislators whom he called his mentors, including Comrie and Huntley, for whom Wills served as a special assistant and chief of staff, respectively.

He also ran a home contracting business that helped young adults, the formerly incarcerated and other residents acquire job skills with the goal of reducing recidivism rates.

Wills will serve in the office for a year and face an election next year to keep his seat, according to the rules in the City Charter. The winner of that election will serve out the rest of the term until 2014.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Wills said, noting rocky finances will continue to plague the city and state. “We’re going to have to tighten our belts.”

Still, Wills said he expects his community to emerge from the financial ruins.

“I love this community,” he said. “We’ll go forward and be the brightest star in New York City and New York state.”

State Senator-Elect Tony Avella (r.) chats with Harriet Benjamin, who helped to organized a new library at PS 193 in Whitestone, during an event earlier this month. The event was one of the first that Avella attended following his election win.

State Sen.-elect Tony Avella has hit the ground running.

The Democrat who ousted Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) from the seat he held for nearly four decades, Avella has unofficially begun his stint as an Albany legislator. Almost immediately after the election, Avella said he has been fielding phone calls from soon-to-be constituents, has decided his office will be at his former City Council site at 38-50 Bell Blvd. and has selected a number of his employees, including his chief of staff, Seth Urbinder.

Urbinder worked for him during his campaign and previously worked for Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows).

“I just kept the campaign operation going in effect, and some of the campaign staff who worked for me in the Council will be employees in the state Senate, so I’m ready to conduct business,” Avella said. “We’re already getting constituent complaints because Padavan has basically shut his office.”

Padavan said Avella was wrong and that he is working with constituents on a daily basis.

“Anyone who has been in contact with my office has received any guidance we can provide,” Padavan said. “Our office is open and we are taking calls.”

Avella, who received 53.17 percent of the turnout, or 25,864 votes, said he has not heard from Padavan, who got 22,781 votes, since the election, which Avella said he won in part because of support from the United Federation of Teachers as well as an effective campaign operation that included knocking on 7,000 doors.

Padavan did not directly address whether or not he would speak with Avella, although he did say he had “nothing more to say” other than what he said in a concession statement released by his office in which he thanked constituents.

This week Avella traveled to Albany for a “new senator orientation” to bring him and others up to speed on budget, staff and other relevant issues. A number of things he plans to do as senator are still up in the air, dependent upon which party will be the majority in the Senate. Currently, incumbent Sens. Craig Johnson (D-Garden City Park) and Antoine Thompson (D-Buffalo) are falling behind as absentee ballots are counted. Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Port Chester) has held onto her narrow lead.?

“Finding out who has the majority, that’ll determine a lot,” Avella said. “Will I be able to get a second office in the southern end of the district? If I’m not in the majority, that’s out of the question. What committees will I be on? Will I be the chairman of one? That depends on the majority. In the majority, you have access to more funding than if you’re in the minority.”

Despite what has been a whirlwind of events during election season and even after, Avella did say he plans to take a vacation for the first time in a decade next week, when he will travel upstate with his wife.

Once he returns, however, Avella said he will begin meeting with police precinct commanders and school principals and start setting up town hall-style meetings. In addition, he said he will begin focusing on the legislation he hopes to craft or support when he goes up to Albany, including term limits and campaign finance bills, as well as ethics reform and creating an independent redistricting commission that would be tasked with redrawing legislative districts.?

“If Republicans do take control, it’ll be interesting to see if they support an independent redistricting commission,” Avella said.

Whatever the issue, Avella said he plans to play the part he did in the Council — an independent voice who does not cater to either side.

“Some of the reason people voted for me, even Republicans, is I’m a bipartisan person,” Avella said. “If I believe my own party’s doing something wrong, I say so. I want people to say that was the best vote they ever cast.”

Tony Avella (second r.) thanks (l.-r.) Mary Vaccaro, Joe Kessler and Joyce Schwartz, all from the UFT. Photo by Christina Santucci

Political observers and exit polls are beginning to paint a picture of what exactly led to Democrat Tony Avella’s historic win over longtime state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) last week in a victory that left control of the Senate up in the air.

Padavan, who served in the chamber for 38 years, conceded Monday to Avella “with a heavy heart” after initially challenging the results, capping the only major upset in Queens races this campaign season.

“It has been a deep honor to serve my country and city and a privilege to serve as a New York state senator for nearly four decades,” Padavan said in a statement. He was not available for further comment.

Some poll watchers, including Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak, have said the unpopular gubernatorial candidacy of Republican Carl Paladino was a major factor in his party’s losses since he did not bring GOP voters to the polls en masse.

“Fourteen percent of voters in New York City voted for Paladino. It no doubt damaged a lot of candidates,” Hornak said. “We felt confident we’d retain the Padavan seat.”

He also pointed out that “in the Padavan area, Republican turnout was lower than expected.”

On the other hand, Avella’s operation effectively mobilized people. Avella said more than 500 volunteers worked for him on Election Day, and he knocked on more than 7,000 doors during the campaign.

Following the election, Padavan had said he would fight the results and filed a motion in Queens Civil Courthouse Nov. 3 to impound the voting machines and ballots in the district. Avella received 53.17 percent of the vote, or 25,864 votes, while Padavan got 22,781 votes, according to results from the city Board of Elections.

The race was watched closely because its outcome helps determine which party will have control of the state Senate starting in 2011. As of Tuesday there were still three close races that had not been called in Long Island, Buffalo and Westchester County. The Democrats had a 32-30 majority before the election.

Avella, a former city councilman, said a range of local factors combined to help him win. Citing key endorsements, aggressive retail politics and his courting of female and Asian-American votes, he said momentum built in the final weeks of the campaign.

Padavan secured the backing of prominent Republican politicians like Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, but the endorsement war was won by Avella, who said the decision by the United Federation of Teachers to endorse him “turned the election, absolutely.”

Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone), a close ally of Padavan’s, agreed that the UFT’s decision not to back the senator, who had received its endorsements for years, was an important moment.

“He was one of the few Republicans who stood staunchly with the UFT, and they sold him out because he had another opinion on charter schools,” Halloran said.

The councilman said the UFT endorsement, Avella’s ability to unify Democrats, a series of negative attack ads against Padavan and problems with voting machines which disenfranchised senior citizens, combined to create the perfect storm needed to bring down the senator.

“I don’t think he would have won absent the convolution of those negative things that happened,” Halloran said. “If any of those things wasn’t there, Tony doesn’t win or he wins by a slim margin after a huge recount, and if you take two of those things out, Frank wins hands down.”

Demographics also played a key role in the contest. About 20 percent of District 11 residents are Asian Americans, many of whom are Korean, according to the MinKwon Center for Community Action.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund estimated through exit polling at four sites that 89 percent of Korean-American voters went for Avella in the race for Padavan’s seat.

Korean community leaders, including MinKwon Center President S.J. Jung, backed Avella after he pledged to support immigrant initiatives, said James Hong, a MinKwon representative.

“Asian-American voters played a very important role in this Senate race,” Jung said.

Avella also made women’s issues a major issue in the campaign, and their vote likely had a big part in sweeping the Democrat into office, he said, although gender exit polling was not readily available Tuesday. The city BOE could not be reached for comment.

“I think [women] were one of the major factors. People weren’t aware that he was pro-life,” Avella said. “He also had a terrible record with women’s health issues and on women’s issues in general and I think that resonated with a lot of women.”

Note: This article has been corrected since publication because Tony Avella was misquoted in the last paragraph on Frank Padavan’s pro-life stance.

State Sen.-elect Tony Avella (l.) and state Assemblyman Rory Lancman discuss problems with the new voting system during last week's election. Photo by Anna Gustafson

While there were fewer problems with the new voting system in last week’s general election than in the primary, complaints about the ballots and machines were still widespread and the city and state need to address the small font size and privacy issues, state Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) and state Sen.-elect Tony Avella said this week.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) also announced the results of the Council’s Election Day survey Tuesday, in which nearly 1,200 city residents from 300 different polling sites across the city participated and a third reported problems with the ballot design and small font size. Many elderly Queens residents interviewed by TimesLedger Newspapers last week said they had serious difficulty reading the ballot.

“New York’s new voting system raises as many questions as it answers, and we need to smooth out the kinks in the system now before we end up with our own Florida 2000 debacle in some future election,” Lancman said at a Tuesday press conference he held with Avella. “This year’s elections showed serious flaws in privacy, access and preparedness that cannot be left unaddressed.”

The new system, which was mandated by the federal Help America Vote Act, makes voters select their candidates by filling out ovals — something reminiscent of multiple choice tests — on a paper ballot that is fed into a scanner. The scanner then records the voter’s choice and the physical evidence of the ballot will remain — one of the main stipulations of the federal act, which was passed in part as a response to the confusion over the Florida ballots in the 2000 presidential election.

After voters and many city lawmakers, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, railed against operations during Primary Day, when voting machines broke down or were delivered hours late to their polling site, the city Board of Elections said it took extra precautions to ensure a smooth general election.

“Generally speaking, the Election Day operations went well,” city BOE spokeswoman Valerie Vazquez-Rivera wrote in an e-mail. “On Nov. 2, the board focused on ensuring all voters were able to privately and independently vote and quickly responded to and resolved issues. The board staff closely monitored, logged and addressed problems as they were reported from across the city via our call center and Twitter, including dispatching technicians and, when necessary, back up scanners and staff to poll sites.”

Still, Lancman and Avella said there are major flaws in the new system that need to be addressed, including voter privacy — voters no longer have a curtain behind which they can cast their vote and instead have to carry their ballot from a desk to the scanner, which could allow someone to see their ballots. Lancman and Avella noted in the primary election that officials often did not provide a “privacy sleeve,” or a folder, in which to carry the ballot, though they more frequently did during last week’s election.

“We need to make sure inspectors are better trained,” Avella said.

Lancman and Avella agreed with the Council’s findings on the ballot.

“The results of the Council’s survey show that ballot design and font size is a real problem for many of New Yorkers,” Quinn said. “We look forward to working with our local good government partners on the different ways we can improve the layout of the ballot.”

Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Lancman said they thought the design of the ballot likely deterred residents, particularly older people, from voting all the way down the ballot. Both said they believed many people likely voted for governor but then did not vote for many of the other offices because it was too difficult to navigate the ballot or read the font.

“The voting system sucked,” Halloran said. “I know of at lease a dozen older people, personally including my two in-laws, who left the polling places because they said they were waiting on line” and did not want to stay any longer.

“Those seniors are Frank’s voters,” Halloran said, referring to state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose), who lost the race.

Lancman and Avella said they will push legislation in Albany to reform the voting process, including allowing college students to be election inspectors even if they do not live in Queens, which is currently mandated, in order to get younger people who are more adept at technology working in elections.

Avella noted that he would like to see the state Board of Elections issue a voter guide, similar to what the city puts out, in order to better inform residents about candidates.

Neighbors Milke Kane and Loretta Boehm chat while waiting to vote at PS 41 in Bayside. Behind them is one of twp broken voting scannes. The polling place at about 11 a.m. only had one working machine. Photo by Christina Santucci

The 2010 midterm elections drew residents from every corner of Queens to vote in races that ousted its last remaining Republican in Albany and changed the face of politics in a borough where Republicans and Tea Party members made little headway despite a national groundswell of support for more conservative politicians.

From Whitestone to Jamaica, Queens residents came out to cast their ballots for what is now an all-Democratic delegation representing the borough, removing state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) after his nearly four decades in Albany and ushering in Democrat Tony Avella. The only Republicans left to represent Queens are at the city level: Councilmen Dan Halloran (R-Bayside), Peter Koo (R-Flushing) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

Some Democrats in Queens, including U.S. Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) and Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), had more of a contest from the conservative movement that helped Republicans win at least 60 seats to capture the U.S. House. Both fended off challenges from Tea Party-supported candidates who carved out more of the vote than Weiner and Ackerman usually cede to opponents.

“The Paladino effect was very negative on southern portions of New York state,” Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said of Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, who was criticized for what many called extremist policies and statements. “It really hurt candidates down the ballot.”

Hornak said just 14 percent of those who voted in the city cast their ballots for Paladino, who received 34.13 percent of the vote statewide, compared to Democrat Andrew Cuomo’s 61.43 percent across the state, according to state Board of Elections results.

Queens College political science professor Michael Krasner said the Tea Party made little attempt to win over voters in the city because it is so heavily Democratic. Still, conservative activists did gain some ground in Staten Island, where GOP-backed Michael Grimm defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael McMahon, and portions of Queens, particularly along the border of the often more conservative Long Island, which Ackerman represents, and such areas as Rockaway Beach, represented by Weiner and home to his Republican rival.

Weiner landed 58.51 percent of the vote compared to Republican Bob Turner’s 41.49 percent. The congressman in 2008 drew more than 90 percent of the vote. Ackerman received a higher percentage of the vote than Weiner with 62.43 percent, compared to GOP candidate James Milano’s 36.92 percent.

“The Democratic registration is so big in both Weiner’s and Ackerman’s districts that it would’ve taken not just a stronger Republican registration but some kind of scandal engulfing the Democratic candidate for them to have lost,” said Krasner, who studies local politics. “Both of those congressmen are energetic and active in their districts, and their staff does effective constituency work.”

Krasner agreed with Hornak that Paladino likely cost Republican votes in Queens. Hornak said he believed there was a light turnout of Republicans in Queens, particularly in Padavan’s 11th Senate District, though the city Board of Elections said it will not have those statistics for some time. Poll workers throughout the borough, including Forest Hills, Jamaica, Whitestone and Middle Village reported seeing a large number of voters for a midterm election, and The New York Times reported about 46 percent of the city’s registered voters came to the polls — an increase over the 36 percent of registered voters who participated in the 2006 midterm election.

“It’s a measure of the incompetence and near lunacy of Paladino’s campaign that he lost by as much as he did,” Krasner said.

Many groups’ exit polls that separated out Queens voters from the rest of the city had yet to be publicized, but the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund said their exit polls found Korean Americans overwhelmingly favored Avella over Padavan. Just 11 percent of the Korean Americans polled supported Padavan, according to the AALDEF, which organization officials said in part was because of Padavan’s “anti-immigrant positions.”

Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) and Make the Road New York Executive Director Ana Maria Archila said the Republican gains in the U.S. House made them doubtful that comprehensive immigration reform would occur over the next two years, a sentiment Weiner also has expressed.

“I’m very concerned,” Ferreras said. “Immigration was looking like it would be the next big conversation after health care, and now it’s not even heard of. We may miss out on a great opportunity.”

Archila also said she was worried about the balance of power in the state Senate, which currently hangs in limbo. The Senate is now controlled by the Democrats, though three seats are currently in question and residents may not know for months whether there will be a Democratic or Republican majority.

“In New York state, it was very, very important to see an attorney general who has a record of fighting for immigrants win,” Archila said of Attorney General-elect Eric Schneiderman. “That’s remarkable in this environment.”

State Sen. Frank Padavan during an interview at the TimesLedger offices earlier this year.

State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) ended his 38-year run in Albany Monday afternoon and conceded to state senator-elect Tony Avella, saying, “it has been a deep honor to serve my country and city and a privilege to serve as a New York state senator for nearly four decades.”

Following the election, Padavan had said he would fight the results that placed Avella about 3,000 votes ahead of him and filed a motion in Queens Civil Courthouse last Wednesday to impound the voting machines and ballots in the 11th District. The district covers much of northeast Queens and part of Queens Village.

“Earlier today, I officially ended my pursuit for another term in the state Senate,” Padavan said in a written statement released by his office Monday afternoon. “The voters of the 11th Senate District have spoken and now our community heads in a new direction. While the decision comes with a heavy heart, I welcome new and exciting opportunities to continue my lifelong service to the northeast Queens community.”

Avella received 53.17 percent of the vote, or 25,864 votes, while Padavan received 22,781 votes, according to results from the city Board of Elections.

After serving in Albany for 38 years, Padavan said he was “most proud of the partnerships forged with generation after generation of residents, families and groups located in the 11th Senate District.”

“Over that time we faced times of unimaginable adversity and moments of great triumph,” Padavan said of his time spent in Albany. “We have overcome odds never thought possible and we stand stronger for taking on each and every challenge. I am proud of the countless good works our community has undertaken together, and moreover, I am proud to have been a part of them.”

Avella and other Democrats had criticized Padavan for his original decision to impound the machines and ballots, which a spokesman for Padavan said he did because they had received numerous complaints about problems with the machines in the district.

“You’d normally do this if you win with like 200 votes, and we won with more like 3,000,” Avella said.

The race between Padavan and Avella was one of the most closely watched in the state because of the slim 32-30 majority Democrats held in the Senate. The Senate’s majority is still up in the air, though both Democrats and Republicans have claimed their party will have the majority.

State Sen. Frank Padavan is contesting the results of Tuesday's election, in which Tony Avella defeated him by about 3,000 votes. Photo by Christina Santucci

State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) filed a motion in Queens Civil Courthouse Wednesday to impound voting machines and ballots in his district after his Democratic challenger Tony Avella ended his 38-year reign in Albany by a margin of about 3,000 votes, according to city Board of Elections results.

“We heard many complaints about the ballot machines and the ballots themselves, and we want to examine that,” said Bryan Gorman, a spokesman for Padavan.

Avella, who received 53.17 percent of the vote, called Padavan’s move “sad” and a “waste of taxpayers’ money.”

“You’d normally do this if you win with like 200 votes, and we won with more like 3,000,” Avella said.

Avella garnered a total of 25,864 votes, while Padavan received 22,781 votes, according to results from the city Board of Elections.

Austin Shafran, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, also criticized the motion.

“The election is over,” Shafran said. “Tony Avella won by more than 3,000 votes and looks forward to serving his community. Padavan’s case is without merit and will be rejected, just as he was rejected by voters.”

A spokesman for the state Republicans did not return a phone call for comment.

The race between Padavan and Avella was one of the most closely watched in the state because of the slim 32-30 majority Democrats held in the Senate. The Senate’s majority is still up in the air, though both Democrats and Republicans have claimed their party will have the majority. Gov. David Paterson has said it appears the GOP may have retaken the majority.

Republican Jack Martins currently has 51 percent of the vote, placing him slightly ahead of State Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Nassau). Republican Bob Cohen has 52 percent of the vote, compared to State Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer’s (D-Port Chester) 48 percent in the 37th Senate District. State Sen. Antoine Thompson (D-Buffalo) is essentially tied with his Republican challenger, Mark Grisanti.

Michael Krasner, a political science professor at Queens College who studies local elections, said while Padava seemed more vulnerable in this election, he was still slightly surprised by the results.

“He was someone who practiced retail politics in a successful way,” Krasner said of Padavan. “He had the birthdates of basically every woman in the district over the age of 60, and they’d get birthday cards from him every year. That seemed to go a long way.”

A large turnout for Democratic Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo probably helped secure Avella’s win, Krasner said. Cuomo received 61.33 percent of the vote, or 2,565,869 votes, compared to Republican Carl Paladino’s 34.2 percent, or 1,430,655 votes.

Shafran said the United Federation of Teachers decision to endorse Avella made a big difference in the campaign.

The 11th Senate District covers much of northeast Queens and part of Queens Village.

Tony Avella celebrates with his wife Judy at SullivanÕs in Bayside. Photo by Christina Santucci

In a major upset Democratic challenger Tony Avella defeated longtime state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) in one of New York’s most closely watched races in the battle for control of the state Senate, according to unofficial election results.

Avella had won about 53.17 percent, or 25,864 votes, against Padavan’s 46.83 percent, or 22,781 votes, with 100 percent of the precincts counted, according to unofficial results from NY1.

State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) retained her seat, netting 18,899 votes, or 87.86 percent of the vote, compared to her Conservative challenger Robert Schwartz’s 2,612 votes, or 12.14 percent of the vote, with 172 of the 234 precincts reporting, according to unofficial results from NY1.

Despite the two wins for the northeast Queens Democrats and the party’s other senators in the borough, it appeared the Republicans may have wrested control of the state Senate chamber back from Democrats.

Avella, who served in the Council from 2001 to 2009, had declared victory early Wednesday morning while celebrating at Sullivan’s on Bell Boulevard in Bayside.

“I’m truly humbled by what you’ve all done here tonight. It’s not my victory, it’s your victory. It’s a victory for diversity and for all the new face of Queens,” Avella said, his voice hoarse from campaigning, during his victory speech. “During this campaign we really have put together a coalition that will continue beyond this. You’re all here and this is, I believe, going to change the face of Queens politics forever … We not only beat a 38-year incumbent, we beat a popular 38-year incumbent. But we made it happen, incredibly.”

Padavan said it could be some time before the race’s final outcome is known.

“In a couple days we’ll have a final answer,” Padavan said. “Don’t lose any sleep over it. I’m not.”

While 100 percent of the precincts were counted by Wednesday morning, the results were not official. City Board of Elections Valerie Vasquez said an audit still needs to occur of the voting machines and absentee ballots must be counted, which could take weeks.

The Republican, who has represented the 11th Senate District for 38 years, attributed the close race to being in an area that has about three-to-one Democrats to Republicans.

“It’s hard to know what will happen when you have that kind of a disadvantage,” Padavan said.The 11th Senate District covers much of northeast Queens and part of Queens Village.

Avella raised more than Padavan in the last campaign finance period, which ran from the end of September until mid-October. The challenger obtained a little more than $118,345 — about $80,000 of which came from the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Padavan raised just over $23,100 in the same time period. The senator’s largest donation during that time was the $4,000 that came from Friends for the Election of Dean Skelos, the Senate Republican minority leader.

Whitestone resident Mike Solieri said he voted for Avella.

“I went with Avella but not with the Democratic Party,” Solieri said. “I think these people showed us they don’t listen to us anymore in Washington or in Albany.”

Tom Sindoni, of Whitestone, said he backed Padavan.

“I had a brother born with a disability and Frank did everything he could for him,” Sindoni said. “Any problem you have, you go to Frank Padavan and he’ll do everything he can for you.”

The Republican incumbent billed himself as a candidate with a record of getting things done in Albany, while Avella repeatedly called himself a reformer who would change Albany’s political landscape because of the Democrats’ slim 32-30 majority in the Senate. During the campaign, the candidates often sparred through mailings and lobbed numerous accusations at each other.

Last week, Padavan asked Avella to return $230,000 in campaign funds he received from the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee this year, saying the funds are tainted because of Democratic Senate leaders’ roles in the scandal surrounding the initial choice of the Aqueduct Entertainment Group to build and operate a racino at Aqueduct Race Track. The selection process and those involved have been under investigation by the state inspector general’s office.

In response to Padavan’s accusations, Avella said he would not return the funds because he did not directly receive money from officials named in the investigation.

Avella launched his own attacks against Padavan and questioned in recent mailings his opponent’s record on supporting women’s health initiatives. Avella emphasized Padavan’s 2002 vote against the Health and Wellness Act, which required insurance providers to cover a range of services for women.

The senator said he has co-sponsored a variety of laws that have improved access to health care for women throughout his career.

Tom McLoughlin of Whitestone holds his daughter Alexa, 3, as he votes at JHS 185. Photo by Christina Santucci

Queens residents flocked to their voting sites Tuesday despite problems with the new voting system that many criticized because they said the small ballot font was difficult to read.

“It’s a beautiful Election Day,” said Joseph Hennessy, coordinator at the PS 101 poll site in Forest Hills. “People want to come out.”

Poll workers around the borough said turnout was good — granted, not as large as it had been in the 2008 presidential election, but still respectable, especially compared to the primary election that brought just 400,000 people out to vote citywide.

“There is a heavy turnout here in northeast Queens, which shows people really care about the issues and who represents them, and it shows, as is often said, that all politics is local, especially here in Queens,” said Warren Schreiber, president of the Bay Terrace Community Alliance.

In southeast Queens, sites were packed with voters taking part in the special election for former City Councilman Thomas White’s seat.

“We’re having a great turnout,” said Steven Bushman, a poll worker at August Martin High School in South Jamaica. “It’s bigger than the primary.”

Hennessy said about 455 residents had voted at PS 101 by 10 a.m., which he said was “a good number.”

“Everything seems to be going well,” Hennessy said. “The biggest challenge is the ballot because the font is small and difficult to read.”

Harold Laslo, a poll worker at Trinity Lutheran Church in Middle Village said he was pleased the machines at his site worked well, particularly considering there was a large turnout.

A poll worker at IS 73 in Maspeth said younger voters thought the voting machines were “a walk in the park,” although other voters slammed the new system.

“Whoever brought up this idea should be shot,” said Tom Sindoni, of Whitestone, after casting his ballot at PS 193. “The writing is too small, everybody’s having a hard time reading it and trying to follow it, and you can’t erase it. Three strikes you’re out — what kind of voting is that?”

The new voting system, mandated by the the federal Help America Vote Act, makes voters select their candidates by filling out ovals — something reminiscent of multiple-choice tests in school — on a paper ballot that is fed into a scanner.

The scanner then records the voter’s choice and the physical evidence of the ballot will remain — one of the main stipulations of the federal act, which was passed in part as a response to the confusion over the ballots in the 2000 presidential election.

Judy Stupp, the Republican commissioner for the city Board of Elections in Queens, said election officials had worked hard to address voters’ concerns that surfaced during Primary Day, when broken machines and problems with privacy were pervasive enough in the city that Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the event a “royal screw-up.”

“It’s been immensely better,” Stupp said of the general election.

Stupp said she understood residents’ concerns about privacy and said the board has worked hard to make sure people feel as though their ballots are secure.

“From a voter’s perspective, we understand this is very different, so we’re trying to do what we can at the Board of Elections to make them feel they’re voting in a private way. This is a big transfer going from a machine with a curtain to a privacy booth.”

Forest Hills resident Heidi Harrison Chain, president of the 112th Precinct Community Council, however, said she and many of the people she knew had no problem using the machines.

“It’s very simple, it’s nothing,” said Chain, who aired shows on Queens Public Television teaching people how to use the new system.

Josephine Wechsler, of Fresh Meadows, disagreed, saying the magnifying glass city officials provide individuals with who are having trouble reading the print “seemed to make things worse.”

While people like Hennessy, Bushman and Laslo said their voting machines had worked relatively seamlessly, two out of three scanners at PS 41 in Bayside were broken at 10:45 a.m., creating lines of between 15 to 20 voters.

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner signs in to vote at PS 101 in Forest Hills Tuesday. Photo by Anna Gustafson

Five Queens Democratic Congressional incumbents beat back challenges from Republican opponents Tuesday, securing the Democratic lock on the borough’s representation in the House as expected.

U.S. Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica), and Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) easily won their races in a political climate that has been hostile to other Democrats across the country.

With 73.5 percent of the vote counted early Wednesday morning, Ackerman received 66.3 percent of the vote, while his Republican opponent, Dr. James Milano, landed 32.9 percent, and Elizabeth Berney, who was on the ballot on the Tax Revolt Party line, got 0.8 percent of votes, according to unofficial election results released by NY1.

Crowley landed 78.7 percent, while GOP candidate Ken Reynolds received 20.1 percent and Green Party challenger Anthony Gronowicz garnered 1.2 percent with 79.3 percent of the votes counted, according to NY1.

Maloney received 75.2 percent of the vote, while her GOP challenger David Brumberg drew 21.3 percent, Independent Dino LaVerghetta got 2.03 percent and Conservative candidate Timothy Healy netted 1.4 percent, NY1 reported.

Meeks captured 84.3 percent, easily surpassing Asher Taub, his Republican opponent, who had 15.7 percent, with 74.8 percent of precincts counted, according to NY1.

With 315 of 512 precincts counted, Weiner had 58.5 percent of the vote, compared to Republican Bob Turner’s 41.5 percent.

“This was a brutally difficult year for Democrats nationwide,” Weiner said. “I welcomed the chance to have a real debate on the issues with Mr. Turner. This was a real debate on national issues here on a local state, and I didn’t flinch from that debate for one moment.”

Weiner, who was first elected to the 9th Congressional District in 1999, and Turner, a businessman who grew up in Woodhaven, sparred over a number of issues throughout the race, including campaign finances and the federal health care bill.

Weiner said he planned to work with the new Republican majority in the House.

“I’m committed to going back to Washington and working with Republicans whenever I can, but I’ll stand up and fight for the things I think are important,” Weiner said.

Ackerman’s win ensured the Rosyln Heights, L.I., resident will return to Washington for his 15th term representing the people of the 5th Congressional District.

An Ackerman spokesman did not return calls for comment.

Ackerman, 67, who was first elected in 1983, was slammed by Tea Party activists during a series of protests and disturbances at his public appearances for grievances including his vote for President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul.

But Ackerman said in April he did not believe the vote would preclude him from holding onto his seat, a prediction which proved true Tuesday.

Milano, 43, a fellow Roslyn Heights resident and emergency room physician at St. Francis Heart Hospital in Roslyn, L.I. and Berney a built bases of supporters throughout northeast Queens and western Nassau County as a result of conservative views including their opposition to health-care reform and their commitment to fiscal conservatism, but were unable to pull off an upset.

“I know he called [Ackerman] to congratulate him, I don’t know if he got through. There’s really not much to say, I guess the people spoke,” Milano spokesman Anthony Carollo said. “He’s going to go back and spend some time with his family and go back to his job at the hospital and take it day-by-day.”

Meeks said he will continue to work on behalf of his constituents.

“I am delighted to have the confidence of the people of southeast Queens to serve in the 112th United States Congress,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to working on your behalf on issues critical to the district.”

Ackerman’s district covers northeast Queens and neighboring areas of Nassau County. Weiner’s District covers Queens neighborhoods from Bayside to Maspeth, and parts of Brooklyn. Meeks’s district covers southeast Queens.

Maloney faced an acrimonious primary against Reshma Saujani, a lawyer who sent a barrage of negative mailings about her opponent. Maloney landed about 81 percent of the vote, while Saujani garnered approximately 19 percent.

Maloney’s district covers Astoria, Long Island City and parts of Manhattan. Crowley’s district covers parts of western Queens and the Bronx.

Rudy Giuliani visited Bayside to endorse state Sen. Frank Padavan Thursday. Photo by Anna Gustafson

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani endorsed state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) Thursday, calling him “the single most effective when it comes to criminal justice and budget problems.”

“He’s an enormously respected voice in Albany because people on both sides of the aisle will listen to what he has to say,” Giuliani said at Padavan’s campaign office on Bell Boulevard in Bayside.

Giuliani said he has long had a constructive working relationship with Padavan, who is being challenged by Democratic candidate Tony Avella for his Senate seat representing the 11th Senate District.

“When I was mayor I could always rely on him,” Giuliani said. “There’s nobody better than Frank Padavan. We need to get the Senate in Republican hands.”

Padavan said he was thrilled with the backing from the former mayor.

“Former Mayor Ed Koch has done a robo-call for me, and he’s a Democrat, Mayor Bloomberg’s an Independent and he’s supporting me, and Rudy’s a Republican, so I have support from across the parties,” Padavan said.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg campaigned with Padavan in Bellerose earlier on Thursday.

Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said Giuliani’s endorsement was not a surprise.

“The senator has broad based support,” Halloran said at Thursday’s event. “This is a guy who appeals not only across party lines but across all demographics. The community understands he’s in their corner. Having Rudy’s endorsement is a recognition of someone who’s made an impact high and low.”

Kyle Collins, the president of the St. John’s College Republicans and co-chair of the New York College Republicans Senate Committee, said his organizations have long supported Padavan, and the college Republicans Senate Committee endorsed the senator Wednesday.

“It’s amazing to see the support he has from the community,” said Collins, who attended the event with Giuliani. “When you go out to campaign for him, you’ll be lucky if you see two out of 300 people who say they will not vote for him.”

Anthony Weiner. Photo by Christina Santucci

While the political climate in Washington, D.C., is one of the most polarized U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) said he has experienced, he hopes to forge ahead with comprehensive immigration reform if elected to another term.

“It’s gotten harder and harder to find issues that don’t send people to their own corner, but I want to find them,” Weiner said during a sitdown interview with TimesLedger Newspapers last week. “We have to solve this immigration problem, and I’m hoping it’s something we can do in the next Congress, whether it’s a Republican or Democratic Congress. The president has said he’s committed to it and it’s an economic imperative for New York City and a law enforcement and anti-terrorism imperative for the country.”

Weiner, a Democrat being challenged for his seat representing the 9th Congressional District by Republican Bob Turner (profiled in the TimesLedger July 8) said national immigration reform should include tougher borders. He also advocated creating a process in which an undocumented immigrant who is here with a job and is learning or knows English could pay a fine in order to remain in the country and land on a path toward citizenship.

The 9th District stretches from Bayside down through Forest Hills to Middle Village and Ozone Park as well as Brooklyn.

“If we lay down our partisan arms long enough, I think we can come up with a solution that would be very, very helpful to New York City,” Weiner said. “Many of the people here in New York City who are undocumented are being kept in by our immigration laws, not out. They may have wanted to come in and work for a few months, and now they don’t want to leave because they’re afraid they won’t be able to get back in.”

Making sweeping reform to policies governing immigration or health-care reform is difficult in this political climate, Weiner said.

“This is about as toxic as I’ve seen the political mood,” he said. “The voices of conflict are now getting amplified and echoed more than the voices of reason.”

Weiner said he has seen some of the anger being played out in his own district when he held a series of town hall meetings on health care last summer, as well as during this year’s campaign.

“I came from a candidates event in Rockaway where someone had this big sign that said dump Weiner,” he said. “First of all, it said dump Weiner, spelled W-i-e-n-e-r, and the ‘Weiner’ was taped over Cuomo. It was a traveling dump show.”

Weiner, who has represented the 9th District since 1999 after the seat was vacated by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, landed 93.1 percent of the vote in the 2008 election, when he was challenged by Alfred Donohue, a Republican from Brooklyn.

This time around, he said, he is reminding people that he is a “middle-class guy” who has worked on national issues like health-care reform, for which he was a leading champion, to hyperlocal issues, such as working out what to do with the West Side Tennis Club stadium in Forest Hills, brokering a deal so the Kew Gardens Post Office could remain open, fighting for funds for seniors who for a second year in a row have not seen an increase in their Social Security checks and getting Newtown Creek to be designated as a Superfund site.

“I try to make the connection between the three hospitals in Queens that have closed and how the health-care bill changes things, so hopefully that doesn’t happen again,” Weiner said, referring to the loss of St. John’s, Mary Immaculate and Parkway hospitals.

Weiner also said the health-care reform will give an economic boost to the city.

“It will create jobs locally,” he said.

Though Weiner said he is focusing on his current bid for office, his name has long been in the running for the 2013 mayoral election and said it “would be coy to say I’m not interested in the job.”

“I get up every morning and think about the communities I grew up in and represent,” Weiner said. “I want to be somewhere I can solve those problems. I won’t be happy unless I can represent the people I represent now.”