Regular Session - January 9, 1995

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         8                         ALBANY, NEW YORK

         9                         January 9, 1995

        10                             3:00 p.m.

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        13                       REGULAR  SESSION

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        17       LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BETSY McCAUGHEY, President

        18       STEPHEN F. SLOAN, Secretary

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         1                      P R O C E E D I N G S

         2                      THE PRESIDENT:  The Senate will

         3       come to order.

         4                      I ask everyone present to please

         5       rise and repeat with me the Pledge of

         6       Allegiance.

         7                      (The Senate joined in the Pledge

         8       of Allegiance to the Flag.)

         9                      In the absence of clergy, may we

        10       bow our heads in a moment of silence.

        11                      (There was a moment of silence.)

        12                      The reading of the Journal,

        13       please.

        14                      THE SECRETARY:  In Senate,

        15       Friday, January 6th.  The Senate met pursuant to

        16       adjournment, Senator Hoblock in the Chair upon

        17       designation of the Temporary President.  The

        18       Journal of Thursday, January 5th, was read and

        19       approved.  On motion, Senate adjourned.

        20                      THE PRESIDENT:  The order of

        21       business -

        22                      Hearing no objection, the Journal

        23       stands approved as read.











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         1                      The order of business:

         2                      Presentation of petitions.

         3                      Messages from the Assembly.

         4                      Messages from the Governor.

         5                      Reports of standing committees.

         6                      Reports of select committees.

         7                      Communications and reports from

         8       state officers.

         9                      Motions and resolutions.

        10                      I would like to recognize Senator

        11       Bruno.

        12                      SENATOR BRUNO:  Madam President.

        13       I offer up the following Finance Committee

        14       assignments and ask that they be filed in the

        15       Journal.

        16                      THE PRESIDENT:  Secretary will

        17       read.

        18                      THE SECRETARY:  By Senator

        19       Bruno:  The following members of the New York

        20       State Senate are hereby appointed as members of

        21       the Senate Finance Committee for the purpose of

        22       considering the nomination of Alexander F.

        23       Treadwell as Secretary of State at a meeting to











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         1       be held on Monday, January 9th, 1995, in the

         2       Majority Conference Room 332.  These are

         3       temporary assignments by the Majority Leader in

         4       consultation with the Minority Leader for the

         5       purpose of considering the nomination.

         6                      Majority members:  Senators

         7       Stafford (Chairman), Marchi, Goodman, Present,

         8       Levy, Johnson, Trunzo, Bruno, Velella, Volker,

         9       Tully, Padavan, LaValle, Daly and Skelos.

        10                      Minority members:  Galiber

        11       (Ranking), Gold, Leichter, Gonzalez, Mendez,

        12       Stachowski, Montgomery, Oppenheimer, Jones,

        13       Hoffmann and Nanula.

        14                      THE PRESIDENT:  I would like to

        15       recognize Senator Stafford.

        16                      SENATOR STAFFORD:  Thank you,

        17       Madam President.  We will please have a meeting

        18       of the Committee on Finance in Room 332.

        19                      THE PRESIDENT:  There will be an

        20       immediate meeting of the Senate Finance

        21       Committee in Room 332.

        22                      I'd like to recognize Senator

        23       Bruno.











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         1                      SENATOR BRUNO:  Madam President.

         2       May I suggest that the Senate stand at ease

         3       awaiting the report of the Finance Committee,

         4       and I have an estimation it will be about ten

         5       minutes.

         6                      THE PRESIDENT:  The Senate shall

         7       stand at ease.

         8                      (Whereupon, at 3:04 p.m., the

         9       Senate was at ease.)

        10                      (Whereupon, at 3:14 p.m., Senate

        11       reconvened.)

        12                      SENATOR BRUNO:  Madam President.

        13       Can we return to reports of standing committees?

        14                      THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.

        15                      SENATOR BRUNO:  I believe there

        16       is a report there at the desk.

        17                      THE PRESIDENT:  Secretary will

        18       read the report of the Finance Committee,

        19       please.

        20                      THE SECRETARY:  Senator Stafford,

        21       from the Committee on Finance, reports the

        22       nomination of Alexander F. Treadwell of Westport

        23       to serve as Secretary of State.











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         1                      THE PRESIDENT:  I would like to

         2       recognize Senator Stafford to move the

         3       nomination.

         4                      SENATOR STAFFORD:  Thank you,

         5       Madam President.

         6                      Madam President.  Our first

         7       nomination to appear before the Finance

         8       Committee and to be acted upon here in the

         9       Senate in this new administration is one that

        10       certainly pleases me, and I'm so proud to rise

        11       and move the confirmation.

        12                      Now, I have to make it very clear

        13       from the outset Westport is in the 45th Senator

        14       ial District, and our nominee, Sandy Treadwell,

        15       is from Westport, New York.

        16                      Sandy Treadwell will make the

        17       kind of Secretary of State that he has been in

        18       anything that he has done.  This is a very

        19       important position.  We can think of various

        20       industries concerned, real estate, regulating

        21       cemeteries, we can go on and on, corporations.

        22       But I share with you, when Sandy Treadwell

        23       decides he is going to do a job, again, there is











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         1       no one who does it in a more dedicated manner

         2       and who does it as well.  He really believes in

         3       this system of government, the American system,

         4       and he has been involved in it for years,

         5       voluntarily.  He didn't have to do it; and when

         6       he has been county chairman of a political

         7       organization or has represented the entire state

         8       as a vice chairman, he is one, if he is asked to

         9       do it, will be anywhere in this state, and this

        10       is the way he will be, I know, when he is

        11       Secretary of State.

        12                      I would share with you that I

        13       think in this day and age too many of us think

        14       that anyone who is kind and considerate and has

        15       a true concern, we think that maybe that is

        16       somebody that isn't real, but with Sandy

        17       Treadwell it is real.  He has been an author -

        18       or he is an author.  He has written one of the

        19       foremost books on marathon running and, as I

        20       say, he has been successful in anything that

        21       he's done.

        22                      In my opinion -- and it's

        23       coincidental that he is a constituent, but in my











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         1       opinion, the Governor could not appoint a finer

         2       individual.  He has served his country in the

         3       military with one of our fellow Senators who

         4       will speak in a moment.  He is one who, as I

         5       say, is always there if one needs him.

         6                      Mr. President, I move the

         7       confirmation and, at the end of the proceeding

         8       would be pleased to introduce Sandy, his family,

         9       and his colleagues with him.

        10                      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you,

        11       Senator Stafford.  If you would like to speak on

        12       the nomination, please raise your hand.

        13                      Senator Goodman.

        14                      SENATOR GOODMAN:  Mr. President.

        15       This is -- Madam President, excuse me.  Force of

        16       habit.  I'm told there's a fine that's been

        17       instituted, Madam President, and in honor of you

        18       I shall pay it happily.

        19                      Madam President.  It is my

        20       special privilege and pleasure to speak today on

        21       behalf of this very distinguished nominee for

        22       the Secretary of State's position.

        23                      I have known Sandy Treadwell for











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         1       a great number of years and have observed him

         2       over time in a variety of situations and would

         3       like to say to you that, in my judgment, we

         4       could not have made a finer or more appropriate

         5       choice for the position of Secretary of State.

         6       This is, in the language of the vernacular, a

         7       class act.

         8                      My colleagues, this is an

         9       individual who comes to us with superb

        10       educational credentials and a number of very

        11       practical involvements in his career, including

        12       even an unpublished book which he says in his

        13       resume is entitled Wasp, "a comic novel which is

        14       uncomically yet unpublished."  There is nothing

        15       comical about this man, however.

        16                      I had the pleasure of seeing him

        17       under a variety of circumstances even outside

        18       the City of New York.  I refer to the fact that

        19       from time to time in the summer, when on

        20       vacation, he can be found in Jackson Hole,

        21       Wyoming, where he's indistinguishable from your

        22       average American 6'4" cowboy walking in cowboy

        23       boots and Levis.











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         1                      I would particularly like to

         2       bring to your attention the fact that under the

         3       transition procedures which the Governor

         4       adopted, I had the privilege of serving on his

         5       transition team.  The position of Secretary of

         6       State is one which may find under its aegis a

         7       consolidated series of new responsibilities of

         8       the greatest significance that at the moment

         9       remain speculative; but since that possibility

        10       exists, this already august post takes on even

        11       greater importance than it has in the past.

        12                      For those of you who have good

        13       memories, you will recall that such disting

        14       uished Republicans as Carolyn Simon and John

        15       Lomenzo have occupied the post of Secretary of

        16       State; and I can only say that stemming from

        17       that tradition, we have a fine public servant to

        18       approve this afternoon.  I urge your affirmative

        19       vote with the greatest of enthusiasm and wish

        20       the nominee the very best and success unlimited

        21       in the future.

        22                      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you,

        23       Senator Goodman.











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         1                      I would like to recognize Senator

         2       Lack.

         3                      SENATOR LACK:  Thank you, Madam

         4       President.

         5                      It's a pleasure to rise to second

         6       the nomination of Sandy Treadwell.  I probably

         7       can take two honors.  I'm probably the last

         8       person who ever heard him called Alexander.  And

         9       I think probably -- certainly the only person

        10       here who knew him the last time he was paid by

        11       the United States government or any government.

        12       We were both buck privates in the United States

        13       Army at basic training in Fort Dix.  I noticed

        14       you're sitting next to a Marine.  You could

        15       explain to him what we went through.

        16                      We called him Sandy.  The drill

        17       sergeant called him Alexander, particularly when

        18       he wasn't doing anything right, but that was

        19       very, very rarely, of course.  It was to our awe

        20       that we watched him go through the five-mile

        21       runs.  I know where the book came from.  He

        22       always seemed to finish first and the rest of us

        23       were last, and I'm certainly glad that he came











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         1       in first, as it were, for Secretary of State.

         2                      It's been 25 years since we were

         3       both wearing green fatigues.  You've survived

         4       the experience of the last 25 years much better

         5       than I, as I relatively look at each of us.

         6                      But I certainly welcome you

         7       aboard as our Secretary of State.  It's even

         8       more fitting, I must tell you, from this side of

         9       the aisle, my colleagues, since this is our

        10       first confirmation that we look up to the east

        11       gallery for our confirmations; and so on behalf

        12       of the entire Majority, Sandy, welcome.

        13                      And we look forward to serving

        14       with you as Secretary as State; and surely I,

        15       and all my colleagues, anything we can do to

        16       assist you, we're only too happy to do so.

        17                      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you,

        18       Senator Lack.

        19                      Senator Leichter.

        20                      SENATOR LEICHTER:  Madam

        21       President.  May I say, first time I rise and

        22       address you, and it's a pleasure.

        23                      I have the exceedingly good











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         1       fortune to have a vacation home in Wadhams which

         2       is located in the Town of Westport which is

         3       located in the 45th Senatorial District; and, of

         4       course, the nominee comes from the Town of

         5       Westport, as Senator Stafford pointedly reminded

         6       us.

         7                      I don't believe I have had the

         8       pleasure of meeting Mr. Treadwell, although we

         9       may have bumped into each other at Ernie's or

        10       Everybody's, the local grocery store.  But

        11       coming from Westport, I knew he had to be good

        12       people, because everybody from Westport really

        13       is.  But, nevertheless, I thought I would check

        14       with some of my neighbors, what they could tell

        15       me about Sandy Treadwell; and I will just pass

        16       on to you the comments of one Bob Lopez, who

        17       used to be the Democratic chair of Essex County,

        18       and he said you couldn't have a better person, a

        19       nicer person, an abler person.

        20                      And as you look at the resume of

        21       Sandy Treadwell, you will see how he has served

        22       the Westport and the North Country community in

        23       a number of important voluntary organizations.











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         1       He is held in the highest respect.  I had the

         2       pleasure of hearing him at the meeting of the

         3       Finance Committee and certainly had the feeling

         4       that I think he is going to be an outstanding

         5       Secretary of State.

         6                      So it's my pleasure, Madam

         7       President, to second the nomination.

         8                      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

         9                      Senator Oppenheimer.

        10                      SENATOR OPPENHEIMER:  Thank you,

        11       Madam President.

        12                      We did meet, earlier, with Sandy

        13       Treadwell -- the Finance Committee -- and at

        14       that time, I asked a question which I think is

        15       of concern to a lot of us who have coastal

        16       communities; and that was, how does Sandy

        17       Treadwell feel about the Coastal Zone Management

        18       Program and the local waterfront revitalization

        19       programs that result from that?  And in most of

        20       my communities it's a very vital and important

        21       interest, because the technical assistance that

        22       we have received from CZM has been very

        23       beneficial to all my communities and absolutely











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         1       essential in going through the consistency

         2       review process.

         3                      And I was very pleased and happy

         4       to report -- and I know that all of those with

         5       coastal communities will feel likewise -- that

         6       Sandy Treadwell feels that this is an important

         7       program and that he will continue to support it,

         8       and I am very delighted to hear that, and very

         9       delighted to welcome Sandy Treadwell as our

        10       Secretary of State, if approved, which I think

        11       will happen.

        12                      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

        13                      Does any other member wish to be

        14       heard on the nomination?

        15                      Senator Bruno.

        16                      Oh, I'm sorry, Senator Mendez.

        17       I'm so sorry.

        18                      SENATOR BRUNO:  I defer to

        19       Senator Olga Mendez.

        20                      SENATOR MENDEZ:  Thank you,

        21       Senator Bruno.

        22                      Apologies accepted, Madam

        23       President.











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         1                      I, too, rise in support of the

         2       nomination of Sandy Treadmill for Secretary of

         3       State.  I didn't meet the gentleman before

         4       today's meeting.  I was taken aback by his

         5       magnificent sense of humor, which I think is a

         6       very important element in living as well as most

         7       necessary in politics.

         8                      But I also was impressed because

         9       he stated a very clear vision of the vision that

        10       Governor Pataki has publicly stated as to what

        11       government should do for the residents of the

        12       state, and I think that when any first executive

        13       appoints a person to be a member of his or her

        14       administration, they try to get people who

        15       understand very clearly the vision that that

        16       first executive do have in governing; and I

        17       think that just on that alone, Mr. Treadmill is,

        18       in fact, a very wise choice of the Governor.

        19                      I think also that on the personal

        20       level, he is the nicest guy that I have met in a

        21       long time and that is refreshing.  So that we

        22       are all welcoming him and looking forward to

        23       work with him in the very, very near future.











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         1                      THE PRESIDENT:  That's just

         2       wonderful, Senator Mendez.

         3                      Senator Bruno.

         4                      SENATOR BRUNO:  Thank you, Madam

         5       President.

         6                      And I'm as pleased as I can be to

         7       second and add my second to the nomination just

         8       so aptly delivered by our Finance Chair, very

         9       distinguished Finance Chair, and I don't believe

        10       it's just a coincidence that our very first

        11       confirmation comes from his district.

        12                      But let me just say to Sandy and

        13       to the rest of you and to his family, Governor

        14       George Pataki indicated that government would be

        15       of service to the people, and there isn't a

        16       better message that we can deliver to the public

        17       than to be confirming Sandy Treadwell for

        18       Secretary of State in New York State because

        19       that office as much and maybe more than any

        20       other delivers a public service, and Sandy will

        21       personify public service.  He will make us all

        22       proud that he is there, and I'm proud to stand

        23       before you and say these things.











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         1                      And, Sandy, I didn't realize you

         2       were a marathon runner.  I did know that you

         3       were a little bit of a health nut, and that's

         4       reflected in your appearance; and, as I

         5       conclude, I want to share with my colleagues

         6       that he will be a shining example of all of the

         7       things that we should do to maintain our bearing

         8       in good health in being of service to the

         9       public, no smoking, no drinking, no carousing,

        10       no nothing.

        11                      Sandy, we're happy to have you

        12       here.

        13                      THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you,

        14       Senator Bruno.

        15                      All those in favor of the

        16       nomination, please signify by saying aye.

        17                      (Response of "Aye.")

        18                      All those opposed, signify by

        19       saying nay.

        20                      (There was no response.)

        21                      The ayes have it.

        22                      Alexander F. Treadwell is hereby

        23       confirmed as the Secretary of State.











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         1                      (There was a standing ovation.)

         2                      It is our pleasure to welcome

         3       Secretary Treadwell's family, and to make the

         4       introductions, I defer to Senator Stafford.

         5                      SENATOR STAFFORD:  Thank you,

         6       Madam President.  I'm sure you could have done

         7       it much better.

         8                      Sandy's wife Libby is with us.

         9       We're very pleased.  His son Zack, the Marine

        10       who he has been so loyal to and so loyal to him

        11       and worked closely with.

        12                      And, behind, I should call them

        13       all by name because they are constituents.  So

        14       I'd ask them to stand please, and we are very

        15       pleased to have you also.

        16                      Congratulations, Sandy.

        17                      (Applause.)

        18                      Madam President.  I shouldn't

        19       point this out, but it's the beginning of the

        20       year and I'm going to try to help Senator

        21       Leichter.  Wadhams is a suburb of Westport.

        22                      (Laughter.)

        23                      THE PRESIDENT:  I would like to











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         1       recognize Senator Bruno.

         2                      SENATOR BRUNO:  Madam President.

         3       There being no further business to come before

         4       the Senate, we stand adjourned until tomorrow at

         5       3:00 p.m. sharp.

         6                      THE PRESIDENT:  The Senate stands

         7       adjourned.

         8                      (Whereupon, at 3:31 p.m., the

         9       Senate adjourned.)

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