Published: January 13, 2009 12:39 am      

NORTH TONAWANDA: Soos talks state of state

North Tonawanda’s top executive last week took the chance to discuss state and local issues with Gov. David A. Paterson in Albany, plugging his choice for New York’s Senate seat and congratulating the governor on his view of the state’s fiscal crisis.

Soos attended the reception Wednesday, held at the governor’s downtown mansion following his State of the State address.

“After about two and a half hours you could just walk right up to (the governor) — it was amazing,” Soos said.

He said he voiced agreement with Paterson on elements of the address and even spoke with his secretary, William Cunningham, to see if the governor would be able to attend this year’s Canal Fest events.

“If there’s not a scheduling conflict, I think he’ll be here,’ Soos said.

Soos “boosted” Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi during the few minutes he had Paterson’s ear. Suozzi is a contender to fill the upcoming vacancy of a Senate seat now held by Hillary Clinton once she’s appointed U.S. Secretary of State by President-elect Barack Obama.

“Tom’s a great administrator and very sharp when it comes to real tax reform and economic development,” Soos said. “If he ends up with the Senate appointment, we will be very well served.”

When asked about Paterson’s response to his comments about the Senate, Soos said he mostly just listened.

“I think he wants to get the feel of what people think. He’s a listener; the more he listens to New Yorkers, the more he gets the feel of what it’s like out there.”

He also said he congratulated the governor on elements of the speech he said “hit the nail on the head.”

Among those were putting together a plan to cover uninsured state residents with affordable health care, taxing sugary beverages like pop, which he said aren’t particularly good for people, especially considering the nation’s high rate of obesity and adult-onset diabetes. Lastly, he said he made known his approval of what has become known as the 15/45 plan regarding alternative energy.

That plan, included in Paterson’s address, calls for a 45 percent increase in statewide initiatives aimed at harnessing alternative energy sources in the next 15 years.

While on the topic of energy, there is the ongoing dialogue with newly appointed New York Power Authority head Richard Kessel, who also was in attendance Wednesday.

“It’s funny because I was talking to Kessel a while back and he was talking about putting wind mills out in the ocean. It’s all big-money projects but it’s all good stuff — you gotta think ahead,” Soos said.

On Nov. 19, Kessel and NYPA’s board of directors met with area politicians and business people alike in Buffalo to discuss cut-rate electricity and other incentives as part of a recent re-licensing agreement for the New York Power Authority’s Lewiston-based Niagara Power Project.

Incentives at the time of the re-licensing Sept. 1, 2007 were granted to some cities and not to others, and several municipalities including North Tonawanda have protested.

Soos said Kessel plans to meet with members of two area coalitions seeking such a settlement Jan. 22, possibly at North Tonawanda City Hall.

Soos formed the Public Power Coalition including both Twin Cities, the Town of Tonawanda, Grand Island and Amherst two years ago while negotiations were taking place.

City of Lockport Mayor Michael Tucker is chairman of the Eastern Niagara Public Power Alliance, which represents several other Niagara River communities.

“(Kessel) said the board of directors seemed to be open to the coalitions getting some kind of compensation, and when I talked to him in Albany he said ‘we’ll be coming up ... and we have some proposals to put in front of you,’ ” Soos said.

On the governor’s speech, he summed up his opinion:

“My own statement is he’s probably going to get a lot of people (angry) but somebody’s got to take the bull by the horns and get the state back on the right track. The only question is: Are the Senate and the Legislature going to go long with him?”

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.