State Sens. Michael Gianaris and Jose Peralta have decried the proposed lines for their current districts, which would pit the two of them against each other.

The new proposed state Senate district lines would set Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) against Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), but the longtime friends say they have no plans to duke it out at the polls.

“This actually makes it very amusing,” Peralta said.

Both senators characterized the new districts, drawn by Senate Republicans, as politically inspired. In the past, Gianaris’ district, the 12th District, encompassed most of Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside with a thin tentacle extending down to take in parts of Maspeth and Ridgewood.

Meanwhile, Peralta’s 13th District mostly stayed within the area between the Grand Central Parkway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, encompassing East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona, most of Elmhurst and a part of Woodside.

Peralta’s new district instead extends northwest to take in a chunk of Astoria, while another tentacle further south takes in a chunk of Woodside. The proposed 13th District also includes the Con Edison complex, LaGuardia Airport and a chunk of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which now are in Sen. Toby Stavisky’s (D-Whitestone) district, but loses parts of Elmhurst.

To make up for the pieces lost, the 12th District now extends down even further, taking in slivers of Glendale, Woodhaven, Ozone Park and Lindenwood.

Gianaris said the new district lines change the makeup of the district by about 10 percent.

“The only thing they did is that they took my house out of it,” Gianaris said.

Peralta characterized New York state as becoming more Democratic and accused the Senate Republicans of trying to maintain their majority by pitting Democrats in the city against each other.

“The only way they can do it is by gerrymandering, and they’ve done so,” Peralta said.

Both lawmakers hold high positions in the Senate. Gianaris is the chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and Peralta is the Democratic whip.

In addition to pitting the party heavyweights against each other, Peralta said his new district also loses about 20,000 Asian residents in exchange for 20,000 white residents. The new lines will put the Asian population in a new Asian district, which is now Stavisky’s, but Peralta said the lines have the effect of cutting in half the Asian residents of Elmhurst.

“There’s no concern for the Asian community in northwest Queens,” Peralta said.

Gianaris, who has long been a proponent of independent redistricting, said while politics can be a factor, the lines fail to be compact, continuous or to keep together communities of interest.

“Astoria is one community,” he said. “For them to split it in two is completely outrageous.”

The senators are not the only ones unhappy with the new districts. On his Facebook page, City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) called the new lines an “outrage” and said the 12th District resembled a “baby alien popping out of a stomach.”

Rose Marie Poveromo, a civic leader whose home would be in Peralta’s new district where she now is in Gianaris’ district, said the new districts were “disgraceful.”

“Why should it be changed?” she asked. “This is truly a perfect example of gerrymandering.”

Gianaris said he expected Gov. Andrew Cuomo to veto the new lines, but added whatever happens, he and Peralta will not run against each other.

“Sen. Peralta and I have been friends longer than we’ve been elected officials,” Gianaris said.

The proposed lines for districts represented by state Sens. Shirley Huntley (l. to r.), Malcolm Smith and Joseph Addabbo are drastically different than what currently exists.

State Sens. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) may need to sign up for dance lessons if newly proposed district maps are approved because they will be doing the shuffle.

“It looks like a switcheroo,” Huntley said in a telephone interview Monday, comparing how the new lines give her parts of the Rockaways that are now Smith’s constituents.

Under the redistricting proposal submitted by the state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, the Rockaways would be split, with Addabbo’s district representing the western Rockaway neighborhoods, including Breezy Point and Rockaway Park, while Huntley would represent Arverne and Far Rockaway.

Senate, state Assembly and congressional lines are redrawn every 10 years to account for population changes recorded by the census.

Smith now represents the entire peninsula while the Rockaways is split in Congress between U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Middle Village), who has the western part, and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans).

The task force’s proposal would take away Lindenwood, Ozone Park, Woodhaven and Richmond Hill from Addabbo and give him part of the Rockaways, Fresh Meadows and Broad Channel.

If those changes go through, Addabbo’s district would be more conservative because of Republican-leaning areas in the Rockaways.

“It’s absurd the Republicans are trying every which way to stay in power,” said Addabbo, who beat longtime Republican Sen. Serphin Maltese in 2008. “The voice of the people has totally been ignored in the process and that’s a problem.”

Both Addabbo and Huntley said they would have preferred the Rockaways to be intact as the area is now. Addabbo represented part of the Rockaways in the City Council.

“I don’t mind representing the Rockaways again — I find it intriguing — but I’ve held the position that communities should not be divided. I don’t think Rockaway should have two state senators.”

The Republican-led Senate drew up the lines for its own chamber while the Democratic Assembly did the same.

Huntley said her district and Smith’s are both heavily Democratic and Republicans would have nothing to gain by tinkering with the lines in southeast Queens.

“I frankly thought our lines would stay the same,” she said. “I have no idea why anybody would do this. They could have left me how I was. It really doesn’t benefit them to do it.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would veto any redistricting plan that is not drawn up by an independent commission, and Addabbo said it appears the lines will be legally contested.

“We are looking at lines drawn by a court at this point,” the senator said about the likelihood of litigation over the redistricting plan, which was conceived out of “the same politics that have plagued Albany for years.”

The senator said the process should be “about voters choosing their representatives, not representatives choosing their voters.

“The process is flawed to begin with,” he said.

State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (l.) is pleased with the boundaries of his proposed district under redistricting, but Assemblyman David Weprin is not.

The proposed districts of state Assemblymen David Weprin (l.) and Rory Lancman look drastically different under the newly released plans.

Reactions were mixed after two state Assembly districts in eastern Queens were drastically changed last Thursday by a state panel in charge of redrawing political boundaries.

Assemblymen Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) and David Weprin (D-Little Neck) saw their districts — the 25th and 24th, respectively — morph to include different neighborhoods throughout northeast Queens, with Lancman’s being turned into a much-discussed majority Asian district.

Weprin vowed to testify against the current maps, calling his proposed district less cohesive, while Lancman touted his proposed district as just the opposite.

The redistricting process happens every decade after the results of the U.S. census are made final. A state body made up of politicians and civilians, called the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, adjusts political lines to accommodate for population increases.

The majority party in each house draws the maps, so Democrats created the Assembly lines and Republicans the Senate lines. The process is often controversial, and this time around is no different.

In 2002, the last time the lines were drawn, Lancman’s District 25 was largely aligned on a north-south axis. His district stretched all the way from portions of Richmond Hill in the south through Briarwood, Kew Gardens Hills, Fresh Meadows and Flushing and finally up to Whitestone in the north. It encompasses six community boards, six police precincts and four school districts.

The proposed district would be oriented east to west and lose the far-flung neighborhoods to the north and south, like Whitestone and Richmond Hill, and instead concentrate more on Flushing, Fresh Meadows and parts of Bayside.

And that would cut the number of community boards, police precincts and school districts for the seat in half.

“It helps keeps communities together,” said Eric Walker, spokesman for Lancman. “We’re happy with the outcome and look forward to reporting to our new constituents.”

The district would also be more than 50 percent Asian — which includes people of all Asian backgrounds — which is something advocated for by The Asian American Community Coalition on Redistricting and Democracy.

The coalition has said the rising Asian population in New York City warranted at least four Assembly districts so the populations could be adequately represented in government, according to James Hong, spokesman for the coalition.

The coalition ultimately supports the Unity Maps, an alternate proposal drawn up by several groups throughout the state, but Hong echoed Lancman and said the proposed District 25 is an improvement over the 2002 version.

“It is more reflective of a community that exists here in northeast Queens,” he said. “We are definitely appreciative of what the Assembly side of [the task force] has attempted to do here.”

But Hong said the coalition’s cautious optimism does not carry over to other neighborhoods like Richmond Hill, which has long been splintered into several Assembly districts.

A portion of that neighborhood was formerly represented by Lancman, but under the proposed maps, a portion of it would go to Weprin’s District 24 instead.

District 24 is currently compact and vaguely rectangular. It covers neighborhoods including Jamaica Estates and Auburndale to the west and runs through Fresh Meadows, Douglaston, Little Neck, Glen Oaks and Floral Park in the east.

The proposed district is much thinner and would run from Richmond Hill in the east and then follow the Grand Central Parkway west through Jamaica Hills, Jamaica Estates, Holliswood and Fresh Meadows before ending up again in Oakland Gardens.

“Following the publication of the draft redistricting maps, I want to state my opposition to the changes made to the 24th Assembly district,” Weprin said in a statement. “Northeast Queens is a special and distinct geographic region, whose residents and community leaders have voiced their desire to be kept together in a contiguous district rather than be divided.”

The proposed districts of state Sens. Toby Stavisky (l.) and Tony Avella. Stavisky's home was not included in her proposed district, meaning she would have to run against Avella.

After a state body released redrawn lines for New York’s state Senate districts, cries of political gerrymandering were heard from northeast Queens all the way to Albany.

In particular, political sources pointed to the proposed districts of Sens. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) and Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who would have to run against each other if the boundaries are adopted.

A state body called the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment released redrawn political boundaries last week as part of a process that happens every 10 years to accommodate population growth.

Stavisky and Avella’s districts — the 16th and 11th, respectively — were already some of the most gerrymandered seats in the state, according to the two lawmakers.

Avella’s district is only contiguous during low tide, and a portion of Stavisky’s district is the unpopulated Cross Island Parkway.

Neither Stavisky or Avella could be reached for comment on the plan.

The proposed lines, drawn by Senate Republicans, took Stavisky out of her own district.

Every politician has to live, or at least spend a certain amount of time, at a residence in the district. Stavisky lists her address in Beechhurst, which would now lie in the same district as Avella under the proposed lines.

In the previous maps from 2002, the Beechhurst portion of District 16 already looked like a strange addition, an isolated lobe sticking out from the neighborhood of Bay Terrace. Even Stavisky has said the addition of Bay Terrace, which is thinly connected to the rest of the district by the Cross Island Parkway, smacked of gerrymandering.

A source knowledgeable about partisan politics said the Republicans might be trying to create as much infighting as possible in the Democratic Party ahead of the 2013 elections by pitting the likes of Avella and Stavisky in eastern Queens and Sens. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) and Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) in the west against each other.

The infighting could mean expensive primaries between Democrats at a time when Republicans enjoy a large fund-raising advantage statewide, the source said.

According to the state Board of Elections, as of January the state Democratic Senate Campaign Committee had $164,163 in its coffers, while the state Senate Republican Campaign Committee had more than $3.7 million, which means Republicans have about 22 times as much funding as their blue counterparts.

But if Stavisky did not want to run against Avella, who once worked as her chief of staff before rising through the political ranks to his current seat, she could always move somewhere else within District 11.

The proposed District 16 also brought mixed reactions from groups calling for independent redistricting.

The Asian American Community Coalition on Redistricting and Democracy had called for a majority Asian Senate seat to represent the people with ethnic backgrounds ranging from Chinese to Bangladeshi whose population has soared.

The proposed District 16 would be an Asian-majority Senate seat, and the coalition praised the task force for at least hearing its side of the argument, according to spokesman James Hong.

But Hong said the coalition could not support the bizarre and gerrymandered shape of the district in its proposed form and would rather have seen a district centralized more around the Flushing area and eastward toward Bayside.

The proposed lines, however, might not be the final chapter in the redistricting fight. Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the proposed lines “hyper-partisan” in Albany and vowed to veto them.

A state task force proposes these state Senate districts for Queens, which has received wide criticism in the borough.

No matter how you slice it, the redistricting plan drawn up by a state task force last week was widely panned in Queens by critics who said the proposal breaks up communities and gerrymanders the lines.

Every 10 years, districts for state Senate, state Assembly and congressional lines are redrawn to reflect population changes recorded in the census.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would veto any plan not conceived by an independent commission.

The lines were proposed by the state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, a body comprised of elected officials and members of the public selected by elected officials.

Under the group’s plan, Sens. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) and Tony Avella (D-Bayside) would have to run against each other in a primary in one district and Sens. Jose Peralta (D-Corona) and Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) would face off in another contest.

“I can’t believe there are Democrats that would have to primary each other,” said Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), whose southern Queens district would cut Broad Channel and sections of southeast Queens and add parts of the Rockaways if the plan is enacted.

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association is against the plan because it would carve up the neighborhood among three different senators: Joseph Addabbo, Malcolm Smith and Shirley Huntley

“When it comes to the Senate lines, the people of Woodhaven are being treated as pawns in Albany’s gerrymandering games,” said Alexander Blenkinsopp, spokesman for the association.

Eastern Queens United, a group of a dozen civic associations, criticized the redistricting process for dividing communities.

The task force “has abdicated its responsibility to serve the needs of the community and instead has served the needs of its politicians,” said Bob Friedrich, president of the Glen Oaks Village co-op and founder of EQU. “The new legislative maps are an abomination and are gerrymandered to break up our communities that have simply asked to remain united.”

Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck), who represents a portion of the area covered by Eastern Queens United, said he was against the task force’s map.

“Northeast Queens is a special and distinct geographic region, whose residents and community leaders have voiced their desire to be kept together in a contiguous district rather than be divided,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to offering testimony as part of [the task force’s] public review process and for my constituents to do likewise in order to end with a map that truly represents the unique character of northeast Queens.”

The Asian American Community Coalition on Redistricting and Democracy applauded the task force for drawing a new Asian-American majority Senate district in Queens and a new Assembly district but criticized the group for dividing Flushing.

“A compact district in Flushing-Bayside should be drawn to keep Asian-American communities of interest together in these neighborhoods,” the group said.

ACCORD also said the task force “has not brought equality to all Asian-American neighborhoods across New York” because Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park were divided into multiple districts.

Congressman Joseph Crowley (back) puts his arms on Councilman Peter Koo's shoulders during an event to announce that Koo was switching his affiliation from the Republican to the Democratic Party. Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer (second r.) and Ruben Wills look on. Photo by Christina Santucci

Councilman Peter Koo (c.) shakes hands with state Sen. Toby Stavisky (l.). Photo by Christina Santucci

Councilman Peter Koo (front r.) shakes hands with Barbara Conacchio, the chief clerk for the Board of Elections' Queens office, after his registration card was stamped. Photo by Christina Santucci

City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) officially registered with the Democratic Party Monday at the Queens Board of Elections offices in Kew Gardens after running on the GOP line three years ago to win a seat on the Council.

Koo is the wealthy owner of the Starside Drugs pharmacy chain and self-financed his campaign.

“We cherish the diversity of our party,” said U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-East Elmhurst), chairman of the Queens Democratic Party, during a news conference Monday at the BOE. “Peter’s joining this effort is a boon to our party and I think it’s great for Flushing in particular.”

Koo said infighting within the Queens GOP was part of his decision to switch parties. He said Democrats had “more leadership” and “more members” on the Council.

“From the beginning, I was always a Democrat at heart,” Koo said.

Queens GOP spokesman Robert Hornak said the party expects to work with Koo in the future.

“We’re disappointed to see him go, but we’ve always had a good relationship with him and we think highly of him,” Hornak said.

City Comptroller John Liu, Koo’s predecessor on the Council, said Koo’s stances on social issues were more in line with Democratic views.

“The issues that he’s talked about … [are] ?really much in line with our Queens delegation,” Liu said, shortly before Koo handed in his registration form to Barbara Conacchio, chief clerk at the BOE. “So it’s only rational that Peter Koo is about to be a Democrat.”

Koo’s switch to the Democratic side means Queens has only three GOP elected officials: U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Middle Village) and Councilmen Dan Halloran (R-Bayside) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

“We’re used to electing Democrats, not always converting them,” Crowley said.

After Koo’s switch, Halloran said, “political parties aren’t everything.

“Peter is still my friend and colleague, and I’ll still work with him to cut taxes and create jobs in northeast Queens,” he said.

During Turner’s race, Koo went against his party and endorsed state Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck).

When Koo ran in 2009, the Democratic field had five candidates running in the primary.

Koo also said the Republican presidential primary process “was a small part of my decision … especially on immigrant issues.

“I understand how hard it is to be a newcomer,” he said.

State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) joked that he was mystified why Koo first joined the Republicans in the first place.

“I never quite understood why he was a Republican,” Lancman said. “Such a nice guy. He likes people, he likes the immigrant community.”

Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), dean of the Queens Council delegation, said the party always had a good working relationship with Koo.

“We always treated you like one of our own,” he told Koo. “We always treated him as an equal part of the delegation because it’s about serving people.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (c.) celebrates an 18 percent drop in construction accidents compared to last year at an apartment complex being built in Long Island City. He was joined by Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri (r.). Photo by Rebecca Henely

Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited an apartment complex under construction in Long Island City Monday to announce what he called a step in the right direction: an 18 percent drop in construction accidents citywide from 2010-11.

“This is good for the agency. This is good for the public,” Bloomberg said.

The mayor said there were 152 accidents in 2011 compared to 165 accidents in 2010, even though the city issued 7.7 percent more permits for construction in 2011.

But the news was not all good. There were five construction-related deaths in 2011 compared to four in 2010.

“Five is five too many, but it is a 73 percent decrease compared to 2008,” Bloomberg said.

The mayor’s office attributed the success to a series of reforms the department implemented in recent years. These include a revising of the city’s construction codes in 2009, creating a unit to inspect stalled construction sites, launching a campaign focused on preventing falls on construction sites and implementing more than 25 new construction safety laws.

Some of these laws include required training for tower crane workers, uniform color-coding and disallowing smoking on site.

“There’s nothing more important than keeping our citizens safe,” said U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), who along with other Queens elected officials joined Bloomberg at a new apartment complex being built on Center Boulevard north of 47th Avenue.

City Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said the administration has been working toward making it easier to build in New York City while also doing it safely.

“It’s been an honor to be on your team,” LiMandri said to Bloomberg.

State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows), who chairs the Assembly Subcommittee on Workplace Safety, said he was impressed with the progress the city has made.

“A safe workplace is not a privilege but a right,” Lancman said.

Trade association leaders also applauded the announcement.

Steve Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said the construction industry is worth $28 billion and provides 125,000 jobs.

“The city continues to support this critical industry while keeping our workers and the public safe,” he said.

Lou Coletti, president of the Building Trades Employer’s Association, said the only industry that kills and injures more people is mining.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said he would like to see more buildings and safer buildings in the city.

“You can see cranes going up all around Long Island City,” he said. “That’s a good thing.”

State Assemblywoman Grace Meng and state Sen. Toby Stavisky have been selected as delegates for the Democratic Party and are slated to cast electoral votes in the 2012 November election.

Norteast Queens delegates state Assemblywoman Grace Meng and state Sen. Toby Stavisky are charged with collecting signatures for President Barack Obama (pictured). AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari

Two northeast Queens lawmakers have been selected as delegates for the Democratic Party in the upcoming presidential elections.

State Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) hope their work will keep President Barack Obama in the White House.

“I’m excited to represent Queens and represent New York state as we nominate Obama for a second term,” Meng said.

The first task given to Meng and Stavisky will be to collect signatures to get themselves and the president on ballots.

As delegates, they will need to be elected — and, obviously, the president needs to be on a ballot to compete with the winner of the Republican Party primary.

The Queens GOP will also pick delegates to perform a similar task, but the party did not return a call to TimesLedger Newspapers by press time Tuesday.

Signatures are required for nearly all public offices, including spots at the city level. It ensures that the ballot will only list serious contenders.

The two northeast Queens legislators will be pounding the pavement in the next few weeks to take names and turn in the signatures by Feb. 2.

There are two delegates assigned to each congressional district. In this case, Meng and Stavisky are assigned to the district of U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside).

But aside from collecting signatures, their essential function will be to cast electoral votes in the 2012 November election.

When Queens residents take to the polls in November, their votes will technically not pick the president. Instead, their votes will act as a guide as to how delegates, like Meng and Stavisky, will vote to officially elect the president.

Each state is assigned a number of electoral votes based on the number of representatives it has in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In New York, that number is 29, two less after the 2010 census trimmed two House seats.

It is a process that is not new to Stavisky, who was a delegate in 2008 and attended the convention in Colorado.

“It was interesting because you met people from all over the country,” she said. “Their issues are very similar. A person out of work in Denver is very similar to somebody out of work in Queens.”

The Republican primary is still in full swing, so Queens delegates from the Republican Party do not know who to collect signatures for as of yet.

Obama already has his party’s endorsement to run in the upcoming election, and recently ran his first re-election television ad.

A clergy group is holding a rally to suppport David R. Gantt (clockwise from top l.) Patricia D. Savage, Roger N. Scotland and Lynn Smith. Photos courtesy state attorney general's office

A nonprofit comprised of clergy and headed by the Rev. Charles Norris Sr. of southeast Queens plans to rally next week outside Nassau Supreme Court in defense of four associates of state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), who were indicted on grand larceny charges.

The group, Clergy United for Community Empowerment, says the four associates — Huntley staffer Patricia Savage, David Gantt, Roger Scotland and Lynn Smith — are innocent and it planned the Feb. 1 event to show its support for them.

The four were indicted after an investigation by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that allegedly found they stole from a nonprofit created by Huntley.

Huntley has not been charged.

Norris, president of the clergy group, is leading the rally outside Nassau Supreme Court in Mineola Feb. 1.

“We have received an outpouring of support and hope the court will recognize that a grave injustice has been done,” he said in a statement.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, shown here with Lady Gaga look-alike Renee Cole at Resorts World Casino New York City, says the state's legal gambling age should be raised to 21.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said he supports raising the legal age to gamble to 21 from 18, saying the move would limit the number of youngsters with gambling addictions.

“I believe the time is right to address the issues of gambling through raising awareness and legislation,” Addabbo said in a statement Monday.

The senator said a study titled “Raising the Gambling Age to 21 in New York State” and published by the Council on Alcoholism and Addictions in the Finger Lakes region of the state found the earlier in life a person starts gambling, the more likely he or she is to experience symptoms that correlate with pathological gambling.

Addabbo, who represents the area around Aqueduct Race Track and the new Resorts World Casino New York racino, is the chairman of the Senate Racing, Wagering and Gaming Committee.

He said with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in favor of changing the law to create Las Vegas- and Atlantic City-style casinos in the state, it is appropriate to consider raising the legal gambling age.

“Our economy hinges on winning the future,” Addabbo said. “For America to own this century, we must provide our younger residents with the conditions to excel academically and professionally in order to create the next Google or to invent the next critical piece of technology that revolutionizes the way people live.

“To do this, young people must have the opportunity to study in advanced fields of science and mathematics. With college costs continuing to grow, it is vital to provide a firm financial foundation for scholars to become the next entrepreneurs.”

Addabbo also said research has shown that gambling at a young age is a trigger for alcohol abuse, drug use and criminal behavior later in life, and that youngsters are more inclined to gamble than older people in games such as cards, dice and pool.

He said Youth Gambling International found young adults from 18 to 21 are three times more likely to have problems associated with gambling.

Addabbo noted that approving full gambling in the state will take a few years and that changing the legal gambling age should be done before then.

“Our state’s constitution must be amended over two consecutive legislative sessions and then a deciding vote, via the people’s vote on a referendum ballot, must also provide public assent before full casino gaming can operate in the state,” he said. “Since we have a few years before that is likely to happen, it gives us enough time to be more responsible by raising awareness to avoid youthful gambling addictions.”

City Comptroller John Liu's campaign has returned all donations collected by fund-raiser Xing Wu "Oliver" Pan.

Embattled city Comptroller John Liu returned nearly $50,000 in contributions and disclosed a list of his campaign bundlers as promised last week amid questions about the finances of his unofficial 2013 campaign for mayor.

Nearly all of the $48,470 Liu gave back to donors was refunded on and after Nov. 16, the day a bundler for his campaign, Xing Wu “Oliver” Pan, was federally charged with skirting campaign finance laws by dividing a large contribution into smaller ones using straw donors.

Bundlers collect contributions on behalf of a candidate. Straw donors are individuals who make campaign contributions on behalf of another person and are reimbursed for their participation in the scheme, which is illegal.

Scrutiny of Liu’s fund-raising practices first surfaced in mid-September after The New York Times found his campaign account was flooded with large donations made by people who appeared unlikely to have the means to make such contributions. The questionable donors had occupations such as cook or cashier or, in some cases, were unemployed.

Liu returned all of the $15,200 in contributions collected by Pan.

An undercover FBI agent posing as a Chinese businessman wanted to contribute $16,000 to Liu’s campaign and, according to federal charges, Pan suggested setting up straw donors to sidestep campaign finance laws.

Pan also showed up on Liu’s recent filing as one of 59 campaign bundlers who collected donations for the comptroller’s 2013 campaign.

This is the first time Liu has made the names of his bundlers public. The list included two colleagues of his in government: City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) and state Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing).

Campaign finance records showed Koo collected $7,200 in donations from nine individuals, while Meng gathered $4,000 from five people.

Koo and Meng are not suspected of any wrongdoing.

The most prolific bundler for Liu was Chung Seto, a consultant in charge of Liu’s comptroller campaign in 2009 who solicited $63,875 in donations from 93 people.

Seto described herself as a political consultant with her own agency, the Chung Seto Group, but a visit to her Manhattan office turned up a doctor’s office. Her phone line was also out of service.

Seto was also a bundler for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2008.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo addresses the crowd at Queens College. Photo by Christina Santucci

Security moves into place alongside the unidentified heckler. Photo by Christina Santucci

After his Albany address, Gov. Andrew Cuomo presented his budget plan for a second time in Flushing last Thursday morning, which had many Queens officials in the audience nodding their heads in agreement.

Aside from a Queens College professor claiming to represent the “99 percent,” the audience largely hung on the governor’s words as he touted statewide reforms and pushed his idea for a convention center at the Aqueduct Racino in South Ozone Park.

“Let’s build the largest convention center in the nation,” the governor said, his voice rising. “And let’s build it in Queens.”

A recent statewide Siena College poll found the public’s response lukewarm, however, with only 38 percent in favor and 57 percent opposed to the $4.4 billion plan.

But U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans) loved the idea.

“I’m excited about it,” he said in an interview after the address. “It sends a huge message that Queens is a part of New York City.”

Westerns Queens politicians, like City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), were happy to hear Cuomo’s plans for an energy highway connecting the sites in upstate and western New York, where power is generated to areas downstate like New York City, where demand is heavy.

Astoria currently bears a large burden in supplying the city with power. It is home to six power plants, in addition to Vallone’s office.

“It should have been done a long time ago, but we finally have a governor who has the guts to do it,” said Vallone. “My district provides more than 80 percent of the power for the entire city.”

Cuomo also delved into crime during his speech, which drew the attention of District Attorney Richard Brown.

The governor called for DNA information to be taken from anyone who is convicted of a crime, no matter what the crime. Currently DNA information is only taken from about 50 percent of convicted criminals. The governor’s statements echoed those of Brown, who has long called for the blanket DNA sampling.

“DNA is one of the most powerful tools ever developed to solve and prevent crimes, to exonerate the innocent and to bring justice to victims of crime,” Brown said in response to the speech. “It is the fingerprint of the 21st century, yet we are not making full use of this technology.”

At a news conference immediately following the presentation, Cuomo discussed the Cross Bay Bridge toll, saying he would like to reduce the costs for residents of the Rockaways, who use the bridge to travel to work. He has also previously said he would provide refunds to residents of the Rockaways and Broad Channel, effectively ending the tolls.

This was another win for Meeks.

“I think that bridge has more than paid for itself,” he said, hoping that it would be abolished altogether. “I’ll be working with the governor.”

Cuomo also received plaudits for taking the education and governmental bureaucracy to task for not coming up with a method to effectively evaluate teachers.

The federal government gave New York state $700 million in Race to the Top funds on the condition that it come up with an evaluation system, but the impasse means the Obama administration wants its money back.

If that happens, it will nearly negate the $800 million increase in education funding the governor has planned.

Cuomo said he would increase education funding on a state level by a further 4 percent, but only for school districts that come up with an evaluation method.

He did not cover his plans for pension reform, which have drawn criticism from high-profile union leaders.

City Councilman Daniel Dromm (c.) holds a rally with residents demanding the supermarket Trade Fair, on 75th Street and 37th Avenue, in Jackson Heights get rid of its enclosure on the sidewalk and clean up its recycling. Photo courtesy Dromm

City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) and Jackson Heights residents are demanding that the Trade Fair, at 75th Street and 37th Avenue, take down its sidewalk enclosure and make changes to its practices, but the grocery chain denies it is doing anything illegal.

“To me it’s outrageous to think that people can build on the sidewalk and get away with it,” Dromm said.

Trade Fair is an Astoria-based grocery chain with 11 locations in Jackson Heights, Astoria, Woodside, East Elmhurst, Long Island City, Forest Hills and Richmond Hill.

The councilman and various residents held a rally against the 75th Street and 37th Avenue Trade Fair Jan. 17. Dromm said the store had received a partial vacate order in August 2011 for a plastic enclosure it had extended onto the city sidewalk. When it failed to comply, the store received a city Environmental Control Board violation.

“Trade Fair runs a good store, but they can’t keep straight what’s theirs and what belongs to the public,” said Tom Lowenhaupt, a 75th Street resident, in a statement. “They have a take, take, take policy when it comes to the areas adjacent to their stores.”

Martin Jacobson, a certified public accountant representing Trade Fair?, said the company was told by the city the enclosure was fine since it installed a sprinkler system and had places of egress, and that the company planned to defend itself before the city next month.

Dromm said despite this, he still believed Trade Fair was not operating legally in erecting the enclosure. He said it was unfair that an Italian restaurant nearby pays thousands of dollars a year to set up a sidewalk café but Trade Fair allegedly set up an illegal enclosure and does not pay fees.

“You can’t just take over the city sidewalk for your own benefit or your own profit,” Dromm said.

The councilman also complained that Trade Fair had bins with broken bottles near the recycling area and had filled in a tree pit with cement. Dromm said when he had complained to the owner of Trade Fair, the store had only removed part of the cement from the pit.

Jacobson said the store has a maintenance worker who cleans the glass and that the store filled in the pit because it caused problems for delivery workers.

Dromm and the other Jackson Heights residents’ rally earned the sympathy of neighboring Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst), who said in a statement she had similar problems with the Trade Fair in her district.

“Its history of poor sanitation, parking violations, idling delivery trucks and general disregard for the quality of life of its neighbors is unacceptable,” Ferreras said of the chain.

Some residents have threatened to boycott the store. Dromm said he was not calling for a boycott, but wanted Trade Fair to work better with the community.

“I shop in Trade Fair, but we want them to comply with the law,” he said.

Jacobson said Trade Fair is an asset to the community. He said the store hires from the community and stocks products that adhere to the community’s ethnic composition.

“Trade Fair, as I pointed out, is a very, very responsible company,” he said.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (l.) looks on as Peter Cafiero, of the MTA (second from r.), speaks at a town hall meeting. Photo by Rebecca Henely

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) hosted a town hall meeting with representatives of the MTA last week about extensive renovation to the No. 7 line that will mean some Long Island City stops will be out of order for 11 straight weekends.

“I wanted to have this town hall so people have an opportunity to get briefed,” Van Bramer said.

At the town hall, held Jan. 11 at Sunnyside Community Services, at 43-31 39th St., the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Peter Cafiero said the agency will not run the No. 7 line between Times Square-42nd Street and Queensboro Plaza on all weekends between Saturday, Jan. 21, and Monday, April 2, to modernize the signal system.

The closures will begin at 12:01 a.m. each Saturday and end at 5 a.m. each Monday. In addition, the No. 7 section of the Court Square station will also be closed throughout that period for additional renovations on the platforms.

Demetrius Chrichlow, of the MTA, said the complete shutdown is necessary because the tunnel the No. 7 line uses to enter Manhattan, which is known as the “Steinway Tubes,” was once created for trolleys and is extremely narrow.

“You must shut down in order to perform maintenance on any type of work within the tunnel,” Chrichlow said.

Cafiero said the MTA was choosing to do the work in the winter so as to not interfere with riders going to New York Mets games, the US Open or any events in Flushing Meadows Corona Park during the warmer months.

“If we were to shut down on any of these weekends, the trains would be overwhelmed,” he said.

Lois Tendler, of the MTA, said this work also cannot be done on weeknights, like the work that began earlier this year on the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 lines in Manhattan, because there are fewer alternate transportation opportunities.

Because of the reduced service, the MTA will run double the number of N and Q trains and will also extend the Q train into Astoria for those weekends. The agency will also run a shuttle bus from Court Square to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue station and will offer free transfers for those who take the No. 7 to the G train.

Crichlow said the No. 7 train was built in 1904 and 63 percent of the system has not been modernized. Because of the signal problems, reliability of the No. 7 train greatly decreased last year. This caused problems, as the No. 7 line is one of the busiest in New York. On a typical weekday, it serves 425,000 riders, and No. 7 trains leave Grand Central Station every two minutes.

“Any hiccup is astronomical,” he said.

Tender said updating the signals will cost $500 million. Work on the No. 7 train is scheduled into 2016.

Some residents requested that the MTA extend the shuttle buses into Manhattan, but MTA officials said it would be too expensive in the current economic client.

Van Bramer said he found the answer unsatisfying.

“I believe it’s achievable and I have put money on the table to get it done,” Van Bramer said.

Other resident requests included more accurate announcements of train arrivals at the 61st Street-Woodside station and better services for those who live at local stops which are skipped when the No. 7 line goes to express-only.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivers his 2012 State of the City address in the Bronx. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed incentives, including merit pay, so the city can retain and recruit the best teachers during his State of the City address last Thursday in the Bronx.

The mayor also called on the state to pass minimum wage legislation so the pay is higher than federal standards.

“The single most important factor in a student’s progress is the effectiveness of the classroom teacher and we are going to find new ways to attract, reward and retain great teachers,” the mayor said.

Bloomberg said the burden of paying back student loans from top colleges sometimes causes those interested in teaching not to consider it as a career choice.

“But we need their talents in our classrooms,” the mayor said. “Our kids need them.”

Bloomberg proposed having the city pay off up to $25,000 in student loans from anyone who finishes in the top tier of his or her college class and wants to be a teacher.

“Our teachers deserve that and so do our children,” the mayor said.

Bloomberg also wants the city to offer top teachers a $20,000-a-year raise if they are rated highly for two consecutive years.

Any of the mayor’s suggestions outlined in the State of the City would need to be approved by the powerful United Federation of Teachers.

“Historically, teachers unions around the country have opposed rewarding great teaching through merit pay, but more and more teachers are asking, ‘Why?’ and we’ve seen how well this can work in other cities,” Bloomberg said.

The mayor said the city would back state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s (D-Manhattan) proposal to raise the minimum wage in the state above the federal standard.

“Our city just cannot afford to wait for Washington,” Bloomberg said. “Not when it comes to illegal guns, not when it comes to climate change, not when it comes to creating jobs and not when it comes to raising the minimum wage.”

City Comptroller John Liu said it was “great to hear” Bloomberg talk about bumping up the minimum wage and said increasing it “would help eliminate the increasing income gap that New York has experienced in recent years.”

On immigration, Bloomberg said the city will “help lead the charge” for the New York State Dream Act, legislation modeled after a federal bill that would allow children who were brought to the country illegally to apply for state-sponsored college loans, grants and scholarships.

“We can’t blame them for being brought here as infants or teens,” the mayor said. “And since they are here to stay, it’s in New York City’s best interest to make sure they are able to become productive members of society.”

State Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Corona) praised Bloomberg for endorsing the state legislation.

“It is imperative that we work toward equal educational opportunities for all New Yorkers and to remove roadblocks that stand between youth and a productive future in this city and state,” he said.

Virginia Salow (c.), a member of the Queens Colony Civic Association, says eastern Queens has been divided into three state Assembly districts for the 30 years she has lived there. Photo by Rich Bockmann

Flushing resident Sunny Hahn voices her opinion on redistricting. Photo by Rich Bockmann

Leaders from more than a dozen eastern Queens civic groups met in Bellerose last week, demanding their communities be united by the state task force that will redraw the area’s legislative lines for the coming decade.

The state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment is expected to release its first-draft maps within the next few weeks, and the members of Eastern Queens United stressed the importance of seeing their neighborhoods represented by one state Assembly district.

Currently, Glen Oaks, New Hyde Park, Bellerose, Floral Park and Queens Village are represented by Assembly members David Weprin (D-Little Neck), Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) and Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village).

“It’s difficult to get any of them to come to my civic association because we are on the fringe,” said Nagassar Ramgarib, president of the Queens Village Civic Association, in the auditorium of the Queens High School of Teaching, Liberal Arts and the Sciences.

Bob Friedrich, president of Glen Oaks Village, said all of these neighborhood share common quality-of-life issues and that the different civic groups all work together.

“It’s important that whoever represents us understands that when our civics speak, their words are backed up by tens of thousands of votes,” he said.

The group invited a number of politicians to the meeting, asking them to pledge their support for its cause, testify at public meetings and pledge to vote “no” on any map that divided the community.

Before leaving to attend a personal engagement, Weprin said he “fully supported keeping the communities united” and would testify at the public meeting that will be scheduled once LATFOR releases its map.

When Friedrich asked the assemblyman to make the pledge, Weprin replied, “I can’t commit to voting ‘no,’” which drew boos from a handful of the approximately 150 attendees.

“I didn’t like that he wouldn’t commit,” said Charlie Vaicels, of the Queens Colony Civic Association in Bellerose. “He probably has commitments to other people.”

Braunstein was attending an event in Whitestone that evening, and Clark did not respond to an invitation, Friedrich said.

“It goes to show you, if you’re on the periphery of their district, they don’t care,” he said.

Eastern Queens United also wants to be represented by one state Senate district.

“I’ll go to those hearings and scream my head off, but the issue will be decided behind closed doors,” said Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who affirmed Friedrich’s pledge.

City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens), who used to hold his brother’s Assembly seat, wrote a letter to the heads of LATFOR urging the task force to create a district that resembled the one he represents in the council.

He said the real problem is that the current process is set up so that each political party can keep its majorities in the two legislative houses.

“Independent redistricting is important today because people don’t respect the government,” he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would veto any map not created by an independent commission, sending the decision to the courts to be decided.

“That might be the best way to go,” the councilman said. “I like that I can say, ‘The politicians didn’t do it.’”

Property owner Kwang Nam Park (l.-r.) and Korean-American Public Relations President David Chulwoo Lee pitch plans for a spa in the College Point Corporate Park to state Sen. Tony Avella. Photo by Joe Anuta

The man who wants to open a new spa in the College Point Corporate Park got the backing of state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) last week, and the lawmaker questioned why the proposal was ever denied by both Community Board 7 and the borough president in the first place.

“I thought it was a good idea to begin with, and now having met with you and seeing the plans I still think it’s a good idea,” Avella said, speaking at a sit-down with property owner Kwang Nam Park and representatives from the Korean community. “I do not agree with the community board’s report nor do I agree with the borough president’s report.”

The meeting took place last Thursday at 131-23 31st Ave., currently a two-story warehouse and office space the owner would like to see turned into New York Spa of College Point.

But his quest to obtain a special permit from the city has run into double trouble.

As part of the application process, the community board and the borough president must both make recommendations on the matter before the city Board of Standards and Appeals makes the final call.

In October, the board voted against the proposal because it foresaw difficulties reinforcing the structure of the building. The ground in College Point is soft and extra pilings would be needed to accommodate the second-floor pools of the spa, the board said.

It also cited Park’s lack of experience as reason to vote against the measure.

Last month, Borough President Helen Marshall also recommended that the application should be denied, citing parking issues.

But Avella said recommending to deny the spa’s application after approving another gigantic development nearby makes no sense.

In 2009, the borough president and community board voted to approve plans for a $1 billion NYPD cadet training facility, which will sit on 35 acres of land and house 2,000 parking spaces when complete.

“I don’t see how the borough president could approve something like that and not approve a small business like you,” he said to the group. “I think BSA will approve this.”

The team behind the spa were also a little shocked as well, according to Irwin Park, whose father owns the property.

“We were surprised,” Park said, citing a vote ?by a committee of the board that recommended to approve the plans..

The College Point Corporate Park Task Force is a subset of the community board and its vote does will factor into the BSA decision?. But it voted 8-1 in favor of the project before the board voted to deny by a vote of 25-5.

“It was a dramatic reversal,” Park said.

The team has worked to correct some of the objections raised by the board and Marshall by hiring outside consultants to look at structural pilings and valet parking.

In response to another concern by the board, Park said his father might not have experience running a spa, but he has operated other small businesses in addition to the Kew Motor Inn, a motel that charges by the hour in Flushing.

Starting in the early 1980s, his father ran apartment buildings in Manhattan before starting a successful bagel factory toward the end of the decade. After that he operated a chain of Dunkin’ Donuts stores around the borough.

“He has a lot of different small business experience,” Park said. “He did anything he that thought was a good idea and involved hard work and some investment capital.”

State Sen. Tony Avella wants the city Department of Sanitation to turn its policies on trash pickups into formal rules. Photo by Rebecca Henely

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) slammed the city Department of Sanitation Friday for fines that have been levied against residents for putting their trash cans out too early the day before collection.

Avella said he suspected the levied fines, which are a minimum of $100 but can be as high as $300, were not supported by city law.

“It’s a huge mistake on behalf of the agency,” he said.?

The senator said he wanted Sanitation to stop enforcing the policy and to return fines paid to the city under the policy.

Sanitation said in a statement responding to Avella that the current trash pickup times were negotiated between the department and the City Council in 2006, when Tony Avella was a part of the Council.

“It was also agreed that the department would amend its Digest of Codes to reflect this change, which has been beneficial to the public by preventing waste from being stored at curbside,” Sanitation said.

Avella said that about a month ago, he received calls and letters from constituents who said they had been fined for putting out their trash bins for collection the day before. In accordance with Sanitation’s policy, residents are not supposed to put out their trash bins on the day prior to collection before 4 p.m. from Oct. 1 to April 1 or before 5 p.m. at all other times during the year. The policy also dictates the fines.

The senator said enforcing laws for this policy may not be legal. He said the policy never became an official rule, which needs to be published and put up for public comment in accordance with the City Administrative Procedure Act.

“They’re issuing tickets based on public policy,” Avella said.

In light of this, Avella said Sanitation should stop enforcing the policy and move to making the policy a formal rule.

“We should be giving a warning to these individuals rather than a ticket,” Avella said.

The senator said he had received five or six contacts from constituents complaining about fines due to putting out trash cans early in the last few weeks. Trash is collected on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Avella’s district, which covers Bayside, Whitestone, College Point, Little Neck, Bellerose, Queens Village, Hollis, Auburndale, Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Glen Oaks, Fresh Meadows and Jamaica Estates.?

Avella said he thought more rigid enforcement of the policy, which he said was not well-advertised as the earliest time residents were able to put out their trash bins changed?, may be a way to get money.

“It’s always my belief that Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg tells the city agencies, ‘Go out and get revenue,’” Bloomberg said.

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks says the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will prevent southeast Queens residents from being foreclosed on. Photo by Howard Koplowitz

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans) described 2012 as a year of promise as he met with reporters in his Jamaica district office Tuesday.

Meeks said one of his top priorities is figuring out how to appropriate funds “so we can build a full-service hospital for the veterans,” referring to the St. Albans VA Hospital.?

In the summer, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stopped its plans to lease part of the 55-acre land to a private developer and renovate the rest of hospital space after years of criticism from community members and former soldiers from across the city.

“The focus of 2012 will be … to have a full-service hospital,” Meeks said.

But the congressman said he was realistic in terms of how feasible it will be to get the funding.

“I realize that we are in economic difficulties right now.”

Meeks addressed complaints against him registered by the conservative Washington, D.C.-based National Legal Policy Center, which has led to the Office of Congressional Ethics looking into his practices.

He accused the group as trying “to drum up something that is not truth.

“I’ve been open about it from the beginning,” Meeks said, which includes a personal loan from a Richmond Hill developer that the NLPC described as questionable.

Turning to his accomplishment in 2011, Meeks said he tried to protect the so-called Dodd-Frank reforms, which in part created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The southeast Queens congressman said the bureau “didn’t have a head” and was caught up in politics that prevented it from doing its job.

Meeks noted that President Barack Obama appointed Richard Cordray to head the bureau, which the president had to do while Congress was on recess because Republicans were reluctant to confirm Cordray.

The congressman said now that the bureau has a leader, it may not help southeast Queens residents who are already in foreclosure proceedings now, but the body will prevent them from occurring.

“We’re looking forward in 2012 to having this bureau functioning,” said Meeks, whose district has been a poster child for the mortgage crisis with a foreclosure rate that is among the highest in the nation. “We have been the epicenter for foreclosures.”

One of the larger projects Meeks said he is working on is Delta Airlines’ plan to redevelop its terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport to the tune of more than a billion dollars.

“It helps create jobs,” Meeks said of the plan. “We are turning JFK Airport into the gateway of America that it was 60 years ago when it opened.”

Meeks said he wants more direct flights out of JFK to Europe, Africa and Asia and noted that such flights would need the approval of Congress.

On the proposed convention center to be built adjacent to Aqueduct Racetrack, Meeks called the development “a very exciting piece.”

The congressman said Resorts World, the newly constructed racino at the track, “has created a lot of jobs for people” and that a convention center will follow in those footsteps.

“I think the expansion of a convention center … will create thousands of more jobs. I think it will attract people all around the country to come here. It makes Queens even more relevant in the economy of the city of New York. Queens is a golden place to have it.”

On redistricting, Meeks said he expects his congressional district, which covers southeast Queens and the eastern end of the Rockaways, to stay close to the borders it has now.

The state is slated to redraw political lines later this year.

Based on 2010 census figures, Meeks said 70,000 residents may need to be added to his district. He said the additional people can either cause his district to extend into Nassau County or move further west into more parts of Queens.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (r.) waves as he is introduced by Lt. Gov.Roberty Duffy before his State of the State speech at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. AP Photo/Mike Groll

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he wants the Aqueduct racino in South Ozone Park to be the site of the nation’s largest convention center during his State of the State address last week.

Cuomo said convention centers are “economic generators” and the Javits Center in Manhattan is not big enough to attract the best shows and conventions.

“Let’s build the largest convention center in the nation, period,” Cuomo said.

He called the Javits Center “not competitive.”

The governor said $4 billion would be needed from the private sector to build a convention center at the Aqueduct racino.

“It will be all about jobs, jobs, jobs — tens of thousands of jobs,” Cuomo said.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said he was supportive of the governor’s proposal, but wants the community to have a say in what is built.

“I am an advocate for community input on this project and feel most people would want to see plans or drawings for the proposal,” the senator said in a statement. “Given our current economic situation, I would certainly work toward creating the thousands of jobs and revenue to the city and state the convention center brings.”

Cuomo said 2011, his first year in office, was successful for the state because it “established credibility” and “reversed decades of decline.

“We have big problems in New York. We also have big solutions in New York,” he said.

“I think we had a change of attitude last year,” Cuomo said. “We were done with the dysfunction of Albany, done with the label of dysfunction … and we made up our mind to change it.”

The governor said he wanted to expand gambling in the state to raise revenues.

“When it comes to casino gaming, I believe we’re living in a state of denial,” he said, referring to opponents the governor said fail to acknowledge the state already has gambling in the form of native American casinos and racinos like the one at Aqueduct.

“The debate … is just not true. We’re in the gaming business,” Cuomo said. “For us, it’s not about chips and cards. This is about the jobs that the casino industry generates.”

The governor said expanding gambling would generate $1 billion in economic benefits for the state.

He also called for repairing 2,000 miles of roads, improving 48 state parks and historic sites and repairing 114 flood-control projects.

Cuomo said he understands the politics behind those who do not agree with him on pension reform, but the governor said his proposal would only affect potential new employers in the future — what he called the “unborn.

“We have taxpayers who are suffering today and need help today,” he said. “Let’s respond to them.”

Cuomo said there needs to be improvement in education, saying the state ranked 38th in the country in graduation rates.

“We need major reform,” he said. “We have to change the paradigm.”

During his address, the governor also proposed what he called a foreclosure relief unit that would provide counseling and mediation to keep residents in their homes.

Cuomo said he expects the state to improve on last year, but cautioned that some observers viewed last year as a fluke.

“The cynics don’t know us and they don’t know New York because there’s no way we’re going back, we are going forward. There’s no way we’re going down, we are going up,” he said. “Last year we learned to walk, this year we’re going to run. The best is yet to be. They ain’t seen nothing yet.”