Pataki Vetoes Seat for Kelly On PA Board;
Also Jettisons Nurse Pension Bill, Curb On Privatization

By REUVEN BLAU

Governor Pataki Aug. 17 vetoed a bill that would have added the city's Police Commissioner to the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a move Mayor Bloomberg argued would have helped increase the city's counterterrorism efforts.

RAYMOND W. KELLY: Governor excludes him.

Mr. Pataki also rejected legislation that would have designated nursing jobs as "physically taxing," citing the Bloomberg administration's contention that the measure was vague and would create an unfunded increase in pension costs.

Questions Exclusion

Mr. Bloomberg said he was "disappointed" with the veto concerning the added seat on the Port Authority board, noting that much of the city's transportation infrastructure is currently policed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the PA.

Mr. Pataki's veto message, however, maintained that the PA police officials "regularly consult" with city, state, and Federal law-enforcement leaders. The law already requires that four of New York's six commissioners be city residents, the memo noted.

"I am convinced that the interests of the city, including its public security interests, are fully represented on the Port Authority," the veto message stated. Mr. Pataki also contended that had the legislation been signed into law, other cities would have wanted to seek seats on the board as well. The measure would have increased the number of PA commissioners from 12 to 14 to accommodate a permanent slot for the NYPD Police Commissioner. Supporters of the bill argued that the move was "critical to public safety," according to a justification memo attached to the legislation. "This will ensure that New York City always has a voice in decisions, involving security of some of its most valuable transportation assets," the note stated.

Cites Foiled Terror Plot

Mr. Bloomberg last week pointed out that law-enforcement officials recently foiled an Al Qaeda plot to attack lower Manhattan by flooding Ground Zero and other PA facilities.

"One of the most important lessons of 9/11 was the need for greater communication and integration among government agencies," he said in a statement. "We need to establish a security protocol for our City's vital transportation infrastructure that is more integrated, accountable, and effective. Adding the New York City Police Commissioner to the Board of the Port Authority would have been a large step in the right direction."

Mr. Pataki was also criticized by the union representing city and state nurses for his rejection of the "physically taxing" legislation that would have allowed Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses to retire with full benefits at age 50 after 25 years of service.

"The Governor has demonstrated his contempt for the nursing profession," contended Lorraine Seidel, director of the New York State Nurses Association. "Nurses care for the city's most needy patients under difficult and dangerous working conditions. This veto is a slap in their faces."

183-1 Wasn't Enough

NYSNA represents 6,500 registered nurses who work in city hospitals, clinics, and long term care facilities.

The bill passed in the Senate 55-0, and by a vote of 128-1 in the Assembly, and also received the necessary home-rule message from the City Council.

But the Bloomberg administration contended that increased pension benefits that would result from the legislation should be mutually financed by city and the union. "In particular, the city is concerned that the contribution rate established in the bill was not the product of mutual agreement and may not be sufficient to ensure that the city would not face increased pension costs as a result of enactment of the bill," Mr. Pataki's veto message stated.

The unions contend that nurses' jobs are physically demanding. Nearly 40 percent of RNs develop serious back injuries during their careers due to constant lifting and moving, NYSNA said. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses run a higher risk of such injuries than carpenters or construction workers.

Privatization Veto

Mr. Pataki also vetoed a bill that would have required state agencies to analyze and compare costs before outsourcing and privatizing jobs.

The bill was strongly supported by the Public Employees' Federation. "This was a huge disappointment for us," said PEF spokeswoman Sherry Halbrook. "It would have been a huge improvement in the way the state does business."

PEF contends that the state wastes $500 million each year by farming out work that can be done by state employees. "This was a real effort to save the state millions of dollars," Ms. Halbrook remarked. "That's a huge amount of money and certainly something that they should be trying to rein in."