After negotiations that at various points involved David Paterson, Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano and Representative Greg Meeks, Malcolm Smith has won over the three Democratic holdouts in the State Senate conference, and is poised to become the proverbial "third man" in Albany’s ruling trio.  read more »

ALBANY—One of the Erie County Elections commissioners is calling on the State Board of Elections to investigate alleged improprieties of the "Responsible New York" PAC backed by Tom Golisano and Steve Pigeon.  read more »

Rochester-based billionaire businessman Tom Golisano is spending “six figures” on newspaper ads in the Daily News, New York Post and several weekly newspapers to denounce Michael Bloomberg’s plan to change the city’s term-limits law and run for mayor again next year.  read more »

Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano said he wants a public referendum to determine whether or not to extend New York City’s term-limits law, and that he was prepared to spend an unspecified amount of money in an ad blitz to promote the effort.

An aide to Golisano said the advertising would include newspapers, television and radio and that the newspapers ads could appear as early as tomorrow.

Golisano said Michael Bloomberg has been a great mayor for New York City, but that “the people have spoken,” and that “sometimes, you may have to lose a good candidate” because of term limits.

Golisano was speaking to reporters inside the Millineum Hotel near Ground Zero, and was joined by an unusual group of supporters: New York State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long, liberal Air America radio owner Mark Green, and a number of other state and state lawmakers who oppose the legislation.  read more »

Please Tom Golisano, spend your money here!

That’s the message Michael Bloomberg had when asked for comment about Golisano’s plan to spend lavishly in order to block Bloomberg’s plan to change the city’s term limits law.

“Well, if he spends a lot of money in New York City, I think that’s wonderful,” Bloomberg told reporters at a press conference in Queens. “The advertising business isn’t all that good at the moment. If he wants to spend his money, I think that’s fine. He lives upstate, but if he has a view, there’s nothing wrong with him expressing it.”

Bloomberg then moved on to another question, declining to listen to a follow-up inquiry from the reporter, Marcia Kramer of CBS.  read more »

News that Tom Golisano will oppose the change to term limits was, initially, seen as a boost to critics of the plan. But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is suggesting a drawback to Golisano’s involvement.

Critics will lose their ability to push a populist argument if t they have their own billionaire supporter, he said.

Critics of Bloomberg's plan to extend term limits have seized on the fact that it hinges on a pact between two billionaires—Bloomberg and term-limits enthusiast Ron Lauder—.

Stringer, in his testimony, said that neither Lauder nor Golisano were elected to office, and therefore that their opinions on the matter shouldn’t carry as much weight as those already in office.  read more »

Billionaire Tom Golisano will mount a campaign in opposition to Michael Bloomberg’s effort to seek a third term, potentially opening up an expensive new obstacle to the mayor’s plan.

Golisano’s top advisor, Steve Pigeon, declined to specify exactly how much Golisano will spend, but said the Rochester-based founder of Paychex was turned off by the process that was unfolding.

“He thinks it should go to voter referendum,” Pigoen said in a brief telephone interview. “He’s going to do something. And when he does something, it’s usually pretty meaningful.”

“I know that he thinks the mayor has a done a good job as mayor,” but, “he doesn’t like that there were two voter referendum passing it, and the Council is able to undo the referendum.  read more »

DENVER—Here's billionaire and State Senate crusader Tom Golisano, who was hanging out at Andrew Cuomo's reception in the Sheraton Hotel this afternoon.

When I asked him why he, a Republican, is here, Golisano said, "I'm an American."

Also, as Cuomo was leaving the event, I asked him how he would vote in the roll call. Cuomo told me he would be voting for Barack Obama.

Does anybody else think the logo for Republican Tom Golisano's P.A.C., Responsible New York, looks a little like Barack Obama's campaign logo?

In a letter dated today to billionaire Tom Golisano - who is vowing to pour $5 million into this year‘s elections - Republican Senate leader Dean Skelos makes the case that Republicans are the ones who have tried to make state government fiscally prudent and transparent.

And Skelos ends the letter by reminding Golisano, a Rochester man, that Democrats aren't so much from upstate. (Old theme!)

“Without the checks and balances we assure, state government would be totally controlled by Democrats from New York City. Keep in mind that a Democrat-controlled Senate would be lead by Malcolm Smith of Queens, Tom Duane from Greenwich Village (Manhattan) and Jeff Klein from the Bronx. The Assembly would be lead by Speaker Sheldon Silver of Manhattan. Thus, it is critical that you join our fight and help us achieve reform.”