Skelos, Klein take on disaster recovery in first public coalition appearance

Sen. Dean Skelos joined Sen. Jeffery Klein and other state senators at the press conference announcing the creation of the Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy Recovery.

The fledgling coalition of state Senate Republicans and the Independent Democratic Conference is taking up Hurricane Sandy as its first order of business, a nonpartisan issue that the lawmakers used to fend off criticism of their partnership.

State Sen. Jeff Klein, the head of the IDC, unveiled a new storm response task force during the coalition’s first public appearance yesterday, repeatedly emphasizing the bipartisan nature of helping residents still dealing with the devastation from the storm.

“I think it’s pretty clear that if Sandy has taught us anything, it’s that we’re at our best when we’re working side by side together for the common interests and welfare of all New Yorkers,” Klein told reporters yesterday afternoon in a makeshift tent in the Rockaways where residents have been gathering to eat, stay warm and apply for government aid. “What the storm also taught us is that labels mean nothing when you’re fighting for your life.”

Klein said the lawmakers on the task force, who all represent neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Sandy, will pinpoint the areas most in need of assistance, review rebuilding and storm planning policies and develop “serious” legislation to implement recommendations from the other recovery commissions already set up by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who spoke first at the press conference, joined Klein in public for the first time since the coalition was announced last week. The two leaders, standing alongside seven other state senators from both parties and the IDC, rebuffed criticism that the coalition lacks diversity or betrayed the will of voters.

“This new coalition is not an exclusive club,” Klein said. “It’s open to anyone, Democrat or Republican, who’s serious about governing. And I expect to address, full on, the diversity of the state Senate. We have to take a good hard look at the interests of communities all over the state, upstate and downstate, minority communities as well.”

Klein also said no decisions had been made yet on committee chairmanships, but left open the possibility that minority lawmakers could be named as committee chairs even if they are not part of the coalition.

State Sen. Malcolm Smith, the newest member of the IDC and a co-chair the new storm response task force, shot down a question about his own role in negotiating with state Sen. Pedro Espada and other renegade lawmakers whose party-switching led to a dysfunctional state Senate.

“I have people behind me that have no heat,” said Smith, drawing applause from a small crowd of locals who gathered near the lawmakers. “I’ve got people sitting over here that got no hot water. I’ve got people who are trying to get their lives together, and they don’t care about Democrats, Republicans, independents, conservatives. They care about a coalition that’s trying to solve their challenges.”

Skelos also defended the new coalition by pointing to the Republican state Senate’s record in the past two years under Gov. Andrew Cuomo, including two on-time budgets, and cited a new poll showing support for coalition government.

“This is the first action of the coalition, which is primary in the minds of people, whether it’s here in the Rockaways or on Long Island, is recovery, restoration, their quality of life and jobs,” Skelos said. “And that’s what we’re going to be continued to be focused on.”

The other co-chair of the task force is state Sen. Andrew Lanza of Staten Island. Sen. Diane Savino, another IDC member; Republican Senators Lee Zeldin, Jack Martin and Marty Golden; and Sen. Joe Addabbo, a Democrat, also attended the meeting. Sen.-elect James Sanders, another Democrat, could not attend due to a scheduling conflict.

The task force will likely delve into issues ranging from housing and designated disaster zones to emergency procedures and the supply of gas.

“Tops on the list is taking a good, hard look at holding gas and utility companies responsible for a lack of preparation and clear failures to fulfill their obligations to paying customers,” Klein said.

Skelos said that 10,000 homes are still without power. “That’s unacceptable,” he said, adding that the task force would complete its work “expeditiously.”

The task force is expected to complete its work and issue recommendations within 60 days.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, the only Democrat at the press conference who is not a member of the IDC, said he showed up to help his constituents.

“Working side by side with Sen. Malcolm Smith or Jeff Klein or even Dean Skelos, it’s about the common page that we all stand on, which is how to help people who were affected by Hurricane Sandy,” he said. “Once they started talking about IDC, and you know, the Republicans and the coalition, for me, there’s no room for that today.”