Erie County businessman Christopher Lee picked up the endorsement Monday night of the GOP chairmen in the 26th Congressional District and Democrat Jonathan Powers won the final Democratic endorsement from Erie County.

The 26th District runs from Erie County to Monroe County. The incumbent, Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County, is retiring at year’s end.

The Republican chairmen met in Geneseo and picked Lee over Rick Lewis, another Erie County businessman, and Iraq war veteran David Bellavia of Batavia.

“As the endorsed Republican candidate, Christopher J. Lee will receive the full support of the Republican committees of this district and we look forward to a working very hard with him in his campaign,” said Gordon Brown, chairman of the Republican committee in Wyoming County.

Powers, meanwhile, has won the Democratic nomination in all seven counties. But he’ll likely face a primary against Amherst environmental attorney Alice J. Kryzan and Erie County businessman Jack Davis, who ran twice for the seat against Reynolds in 2004 and 2006 and spent millions each time. He plans to spend up to $3 million this time.

From AP:The call girl linked to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is suing the founder of the “Girls Gone Wild” video series for more than $10 million.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre filed a lawsuit Monday in Miami federal court claiming she never gave “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis permission to use her name and likeness to advertise the videos.

Dupre contends she was 17 and not old enough to sign a contract when the videos were taken in 2003 in Miami Beach.

A spokesman for Francis didn’t immediately return a call for comment Monday.
The now 22-year-old Dupre was identified in March as a prostitute named “Kristen” who had been involved with Spitzer. He has since resigned.

The New York Racing Association announced today that a bankruptcy judge has signed off on its reorganization plan, meaning the state’s bailout got the approval from thecourts.

In one of his final acts before he resigned, former Gov. Eliot Spitzer approved a 25-year deal with NYRA to continue to run racing at Aqueduct and Belmont in the New York City-area and at Saratoga, north of Albany.

The state also included a $105 million bailout of NYRA to help them get out of bankruptcy. The state gets to own the land at the tracks and form a new NYRA board.

“Today’s confirmation represents one of the most significant events in what has been a complex and protracted franchise process,” said NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker.

The Associated Press, meanwhile is reporting that the creators of the Hard Rock Cafe and the Mohegan Sun casino are vying to run video lottery terminals at Aqueduct.

The companies who have submitted proposals to run the VLT parlors include: Capital Play Inc. and the Mohegan Sun casino; Aqueduct Gaming, which includes Delaware North Companies Gaming and Entertainment and Saratoga Harness Racing; and SL Green Realty Corp., a New York City developer with plans to build a Hard Rock entertainment facility.

  After heaping praise on the present governor, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno today had some not as kind remarks about his predecessor.

“This governor gets it,’’ Bruno told a crowd of investors meeting near the Capitol, referring to Gov. David Paterson’s grasp of economic-development issues. “The previous governor didn’t,’’ he added, referring to Eliot Spitzer, who quit in disgrace last month after his involvement with a prostitute came to light. “That’s why he’s not here any more. He got some things, though. That’s why he’s in psychiatric care.’’

Later, he told reporters he wishes Spitzer and his family well, and said he hopes Spitzer “has a productive life.’‘

Gov. David Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno were all hugs this morning at an event in Troy, where the Democratic governor and the Republican Senate leader announced a $10 million grant for an environmental research facility along the Hudson River.

“This governor gets it. He understands what partnering is all about,” Bruno said as he introduced Paterson. “The people of this state need your leadership and they are getting it. We all here are indebted to all the good things that you are doing.”

When Paterson arrived, he joked with Bruno that his motorcade stopped at one point on the way to the event, but said “We better start moving. He’s going to think we are staking him out”—a reference to the Troopergate scandal that engulfed his predecessor, Eliot Spitzer.

Paterson said that partnering with the opposing party shouldn’t be seen as a sign of “weakness.”

“It just shows the balance that is needed in government,” Paterson said. “There’s a sense that if people have an understanding of each other and they get along and they are of opposite parties this is a sign of weakness. It’s actually a sign of strength.”

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has been “rubber-stamping’’ water-pollution permits without substantive review, violating federal laws, an environmental group charged Monday.

The lax oversight means “we can’t say what’s in our waters. And neither can the DEC,’’ said Katherine Nadeau of Environmental Advocates of New York.

DEC spokesman Yancey Roy said the agency has significantly beefed up the program since a new administration took over in January 2007.  He said six new monitors were hired, bringing the total to 17.5, and that 11 percent of permits were reviewed in the year that ended on March 31, compared to less than 2 percent two years earlier.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who has been critical of the state budget since it was approved April 9, released his preliminary view of the 2008-09 spending plan today—and he doesn’t like what he sees.

He said the budget relies on “risky revenue” that may not materialize and adds $11.5 billion to the state’s burgeoning debt load. DiNapoli warned that future year annually debt could rise to as high as $9.5 billion if cost containments are not made. (The state just closed a $4.6 billion deficit.)

“It’s clear this budget continues New York’s long but not-so-glorious traditions of spending more than the state takes in and borrowing too much,” DiNapoli said. “The reality is that the economy is in rough shape and the worst may still be around the corner. ”

Some of the findings include:
—Increased Reliance on Debt: The state’s current debt of $53 billion is projected to exceed $67 billion by the 2012-13 fiscal year. Debt service payments are estimated to cost the state $7.5 billion annually by 2012-13, a 50 percent increase.
—Risks: The budget contains almost $1.5 billion in revenue that may not materialize, including the conversion of not-for-profit health insurers to for-profit status, sales tax from Native American retailers and VLT revenues.
—Non-Recurring Resources: The Enacted Budget utilizes $2.5 billion in one-shots, including $400 million in “sweeps” from various dedicated funds, such as the Environmental Protection Fund and the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Fund.
—Off-Budget Spending: The Enacted Budget includes $100 million in new off-budget spending for various housing programs.

Taxes, taxes, and more taxes is the focus of this week’s edition.

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Defying Gov. David Paterson and state leaders, the state Thruway Authority today approved raising tolls on the 641-mile long superhighway starting in July.
The Thruway Authority has been under immense political pressure to reject a toll increase, yet the board voted 5-1 to go ahead with the hike.
A discount for E-Z Pass customers will be cut in half starting in July and an overall 5 percent increase will go into effect in January 2009, with another 5 percent increase in 2010.
Other increases in 2009 include a 50 cent increase to travel over the Tappen Zee Bridge, bringing the total roundtrip fare to $5. The commuter fee, for regular customers, will rise from $2 to $3 on the bridge.
Board members argued that they have little choice but to go ahead with the toll increases, which would bring in about $375 million in revenue over the next four years. They said the Thruway needs repair; a delay would only cause further road deterioration.
“For the money, the motoring public is getting a very, very safe system, a system which everyone feels comfortable riding on – and that’s what we are all about here,” said authority board chairman John Buono.

Nearly 93 percent of New Yorkers think consumers should have a choice of electricity suppliers, according to a new poll from the Retail Energy Supply Association. The association is a trade group representing companies that provide a range of competitive energy services in the state.

Syracuse University, which conducted the survey of 550 New York homeowners between March 30 and April 2, also found that:
—80 percent support policies that promote competition.
—40 percent said they might switch energy suppliers in the future.
—More than 82 percent said green power was important to them, and more than 50 percent said they would pay extra for it.
—A lack of information is a key reason why some people are reluctant to switch energy suppliers.

“This result provides overwhelming evidence that customers want choice. This should guide policymakers in New York toward implementing initiatives that will help educate consumers about how to make the right energy choices,” Jay L. Kooper, vice president and state chair of the association, said in a statement.