LOBBYISTS ONLY REAL WINNERS IN BRAWL
By TOM TOPOUSIS

 

June 8, 2005 -- The bruising battle over a West Side stadium — fought by an army of lobbyists and a massive media blitz — ended with a burst of spending that could make it the most expensive public campaign in state history, records show.

In just the first four months of the year, Cablevision pumped an additional $12.3 million into its campaign to block the stadium, most of which was for advertising, state lobbying reports show.

That brought Cablevision's total up to a staggering $34 million since the start of 2004.

The Jets spent roughly $7 million to promote the project.

"If it's not the most expensive lobbying campaign, it has to be close, especially on such a narrow issue that took place over a relatively short period of time," said Megan Quattlebaum of Common Cause.

"We're talking about a massive spurt of spending."

Cablevision's biggest gun in the lobbying war was former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, a Republican with close ties to Gov. Pataki, state Senate leaders and MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow.

D'Amato's firm, Park Strategies, was paid a paltry $55,000 through April at the rate of $5,000 a month. That small payment has some industry insiders scoffing that the former senator's eventual payday will come in the form of a huge bonus for helping to kill the stadium.

"Talk on the street is that if D'Amato got $500,000 for a 30-second phone call, he's due seven figures for the stadium," said one lobbyist, referring to the eye-popping fee the former senator got for placing a telephone call to the MTA on behalf of a client.

D'Amato did not return a call for comment.

The legion of high-powered lobbyists also included Ken Bruno, son of state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, who had a key vote against the project.