Clavin still going to town on congestion pricing
The Town of Hempstead TV spot against congestion pricing dated June 11.
Daily Point
Town of Hempstead spends to keep anti-toll buzz alive
Forty-seven days have passed since Gov. Kathy Hochul abruptly announced she’d stall the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Manhattan vehicle toll program, which was to have commenced on June 30.
Supervisor Don Clavin of the Town of Hempstead, among an array of entities and individuals that had sued to kill the program known as “congestion pricing,” clearly still sees the issue as a valuable asset. He has no political incentive to let up.
Earlier this month, on News12, a 30-second ad funded by TOH taxpayers carried this message: “Supervisor Donald Clavin and the Hempstead town board fought to stop Albany’s congestion pricing tax. And we all won. The governor backed down. Now Long Island drivers will not have to pay her new $15 tax to drive into Manhattan.”
“Hempstead sued the MTA to stop the tax on our drivers. Join Don Clavin. Click on the QR code and tell the governor and the MTA don’t ever bring back your congestion pricing tax on Long Island drivers.”
While the ad is still on the town’s YouTube channel. Brian Devine, TOH spokesman, told The Point that the television ad buy has ended, although it continued to run even after Hochul’s June 5 announcement. The reason: the governor only called a “pause” to the program. Other Republicans have also predicted that she will revive it after Election Day because Hochul has yet to come up with a plan to fill the $15 billion hole her suspension of the program has opened. The runup to her surprise announcement was filled with months of protests that imposing new costs on motorists would haunt Democrats as they ran for state and federal legislative seats.
Devine said he could not immediately provide a cost total for producing and airing the TV spot. Other members of the town board also have their names appearing on the screen.
The town is continuing to pursue the federal lawsuit against the plan it filed in May, the first local government on Long Island to take such action. “We are still seeking a permanent injunction to stop it,” said Devine on Monday.
Curiously, Clavin and County Executive Bruce Blakeman do not seem to be operating as one on the matter -- even though both are Republicans, both oppose several Hochul policies, and their constituencies largely overlap. Blakeman did have his sole MTA board appointee David Mack vote against going ahead with the plan.
— Dan Janison dan.janison@newsday.com
Pencil Point
Newsmaker
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Convention Point
Snapshots: LI pols at the Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was only a week ago but political news is now moving in nanoseconds. Still, The Point wanted to share some snaps from the GOP 2024 convention family album.
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito took seats in the front row of New York’s section on the convention floor on Thursday night, not long before Donald Trump began speaking. Credit: Newsday/Randi F. Marshall
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on the convention floor Wednesday evening, with Kimberly Guilfoyle speaking behind him. Credit: Newsday/Randi F. Marshall
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin in the Trump family VIP box, with Rep. Elise Stefanik, on Tuesday evening. Credit: Newsday/Randi F. Marshall
New York State GOP chairman Ed Cox with U.S. Senate Republican candidate Mike Sapraicone on Tuesday night. Credit: Newsday/Randi F. Marshall
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