Valesky Gets Screwed

In this blog’s inaugural post, State Senator Dave Valesky was praised for his elevation to the position of Vice President Pro-Tem in the Senate leadership. It was a signal from then-Majority Leader Malcolm Smith that he wanted a greater focus on Upstate issues. No more. With the Senate stalemate over and the leadership reorganization in place, it appears that Valesky’s leadership position was just for show and that Malcolm Smith’s so-called outreach to Upstate New York was a sham. The Majority Leader in the State Senate traditionally served also as President Pro-Tem of the Senate and Conference Chair for the leader’s respective party conference. In the reorganized Senate structure, those three titles were divided. Malcolm Smith is now the Senate President Pro-Tem, renegade senator Pedro Espada is the new Majority Leader and Senator John Sampson is the Conference Chair, a position he attained a few days after the original “coup” vote. These three men represent the geographically diverse New York State locales of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. In other words, the New York City State Senate is back to its old ways. Sorry Senator Valesky, but you (and Upstate New York) got the shaft.