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Encyclopedia > Vito Fossella
Vito Fossella, Jr.
Vito Fossella

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
November 4, 1997
Preceded by Susan Molinari
Succeeded by Incumbent

Born March 09, 1965 (1965-03-09) (age 42)
New York City, New York
Political party Republican
Spouse Mary Patricia Rowann
Religion Roman Catholic

Vito John Fossella, Jr. (born March 9, 1965), is a Republican politician from the state of New York who has represented the state's 13th Congressional district (map) in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997. The district includes Staten Island and the Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Gravesend neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Fossella, A Staten Island native, was born to a family that included several politicians. Fossella initially took office in 1997, after winning a special election held to replace the resigning Susan Molinari. He is currently in his sixth term, having won re-election in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and again in 2006. Fossella is the only Republican Congressman from New York City. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... NY redirects here. ... New Yorks 13th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. ... For the ecclesiastical office, see Incumbent (ecclesiastical). ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... Susan Molinari (born March 27, 1958) is a politician, journalist, and lobbyist from New York. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York redirects here. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the... NY redirects here. ... New Yorks 13th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... Staten Island (IPA: ) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ... Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Bay Ridge is located in the southwest corner of Brooklyn, New York. ... Dyker Heights is a neighborhood in southwestern Brooklyn, New York, USA. It is sandwiched between Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst on Gravesend Bay(Lower New York Bay). ... Bensonhurst Embrakement is a common walkplace in (Bensonhurst) A spectacular view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Brooklyn College) Snow melting on one of the streets in Bensonhurst Bensonhurst is a working class neighborhood located in the south-central part of New York City, USAs borough of Brooklyn. ... Afternoon by the Sea (Gravesend Bay), a pastel by William Merritt Chase, ca 1888 shows traditional catboats in the bay and the Navesink Highlands across Lower New York Bay. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... Susan Molinari (born March 27, 1958) is a politician, journalist, and lobbyist from New York. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Contents

Early life, education, and family

Fossella was born on Staten Island into a Roman Catholic family of Irish and Italian descent. His great-grandfather, James O'Leary, represented Staten Island in Congress from 1935 to 1944. One of his uncles, Frank Fossella, was a prominent Staten Island Democrat who was a City Council member for four years, ending in 1985.[1] His father served in various appointed positions in the city administrations of Democratic Mayors Edward I. Koch and Abraham D. Beame, then became a successful construction engineer.[2]


Fossella, the fourth of seven children, was a basketball player at Monsignor Farrell High School, where he got his first political experience in the student council. He attended Iona College in New Rochelle, then transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics in 1987.[2] Monsignor Farrell High School is located at 2900 Amboy Road in the Oakwood Heights section of Staten Island, New York. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... New Rochelle City Hall New Roc City New Rochelle (French: Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of New York in Westchester County, 16 miles (26 km) from Grand Central Terminal in New York City and 2 miles north of the border with... The Wharton School Wharton School is the business school of University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...


After college, Fossella worked as a management consultant at the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, then attended law school.[2] He received a Juris Doctor from the Fordham University School of Law in 1993, and worked as an associate at a medical malpractice defense law firm Schiavetti Begos & Nicholson. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is one of the Big Four auditors. ... Doctor of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Juris Doctor (abbreviated J.D. or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a professional degree in law offered by universities in a number of countries. ... Fordham University School of Law, commonly known as Fordham Law or Fordham Law School, is a part of Fordham University and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in New York City. ...


In 1990, Fossella married Mary Patricia Rowan. They have three children and live in the Great Kills neighborhood on Staten Island. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...


New York City Council

Early political work; election

Fossella was a political protégé of Michael J. Petrides, a member of the city's School Board and a Staten Island political strategist. In 1990, Fossella switched his affiliation from Democrat, to become the family's first Republican. "I found myself voting more and more for Republicans," he said in 1997. "For the most part, my family reacted well. But still, I would love to have been a fly on the wall."[2]Under Petrides' guidance, he joined the 1992 re-election campaign of Staten Island Congresswoman Susan Molinari and, in 1993, the mayoral campaign of Rudy Giuliani. Susan Molinari (born March 27, 1958) is a politician, journalist, and lobbyist from New York. ... Rudolph William Louis Giuliani III, (born May 28, 1944) is an American lawyer, prosecutor, businessman, and Republican politician from the state of New York. ...


Fossella's political career began in April 1994, when he won a special election to the New York City Council, representing Staten Island's South Shore and Mid-Island section. He replaced Councilman Alfred C. Cerullo 3d, who had left to become Commissioner of Consumer Affairs in the Rudy Giuliani administration. Fossella spent $92,000 in the election, in which he had five opponents.[3] New York City Hall The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. ...


In November 1994, Fossella was reelected to the remaining three years of Cerullo's term, defeating Democrat Rosemarie Mangano. He served on the Council until November 1997.


Council initiatives

Fossella's council initiatives included:

  • Authoring the legislation that led to the agreement to permanently close the Fresh Kills Landfill
  • Conceiving the idea of the South Richmond Rezoning Study, a comprehensive rezoning initiative on Staten Island
  • Securing funding for the construction of P.S. 56 and P.S. 6, the first new schools to be built on Staten Island in over a decade.

The Fresh Kills Landfill on the New York City borough of Staten Island, was formerly the largest landfill in the world, at 2200 acres (890 hectares),[1] and was New York Citys principal landfill in the second half of the 20th century. ...

United States Congress

Initial election

In June 1997, Fossella was selected by executive committee of the Staten Island Republican Party as its candidate to run for the Congressional seat being vacated by Representative Susan Molinari, who was resigning to become a Saturday morning news anchor on CBS.[1] Fossella won the special election in November 1997, defeating Democratic Assemblyman Eric Vitaliano with 61 percent of the vote. Susan Molinari (born March 27, 1958) is a politician, journalist, and lobbyist from New York. ...


During the special campaign, Fossella received a huge financial boost from the national GOP.[citation needed]


Re-elections

In November 1998, Fossella won a full term with 68 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2000, winning 65 percent of the vote against Democrat Katina M. Johnstone. In 2002, he was re-elected with 70 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Arne M. Mattsson even as Al Gore carried the district. Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ...


In 2004, Fossella's victory margin shrunk against former assemblyman and judge Frank Barbaro. Barbaro actually won the Brooklyn portion of the district by seven points, the first time Fossella had not won that area; Barbaro had represented much of this area in Albany for 23 years. However, Barbaro performed poorly on Staten Island, and Fossella won there by 26 points—enough for him to win a fourth full term with 59% of the vote districtwide. He was likely helped by George W. Bush's 13-point win on Staten Island. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...


In 2006, Fossella's percentage of the vote shrunk further defeating Democrat and Brooklyn attorney Steve Harrison 57%-43%. Harrison carried the Staten Island Northshore districts 2-1 while Fossella improved on his 2004 Brooklyn performance, edging Harrison by a little over 200 votes. With Fossella squeaking by in Brooklyn and Harrison easily winning the mostly Democratic Northshore, Fossella won the contest by trouncing Harrison in Staten Island's heavily Republican Southshore, although his margin in that region shrunk a bit from previous elections. Hillary Clinton and Eliot Spitzer carried the 13th by overwhelming margins. Steve Harrison (born 1949) is the Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives in New Yorks 13th District Map) for the 2006 election. ... Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947), was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton. ... Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American lawyer, politician and the current Governor of New York. ...


Committees

Fossella is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Financial Services. He is the vice-chairman Republican of the Environment subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The U.S. House Commerce Committee on Energy and Commerce residing at 2125 Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC is the oldest (208 years) legislative standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. ... Meeting of the House Financial Services Committee The House Committee on Financial Services oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries. ...


Political positions

Unlike most Republicans from New York, Fossella is seen by some as being strongly conservative because of his lifetime rating of 87% from the American Conservative Union the third highest out of New York State's 29 congressmen, behind Randy Kuhl (92%) and Tom Reynolds (88%).[4] By comparison, Fossella's predecessors, Guy V. Molinari and Susan Molinari, were leading moderate Republicans. The American Conservative Union (ACU) is a large conservative political lobbying group in the United States. ... John R. Randy Kuhl, Jr. ... Thomas M. Reynolds (born September 3, 1950) is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, currently representing the states 26th Congressional district (map) in the U.S. House. ... Guy Victor Molinari is a former Representative from New York. ...


Democrats make up a substantial majority of registered voters in the 13th. However, they are somewhat conservative on social issues, which has helped keep the district in Republican hands since 1981.


Conversely, Fossella's lifetime rating from the American Civil Liberties Union sits at 9%.[5] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a major American non-profit organization whose stated mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.[1] It works through litigation, legislation, and community...


In August 2002, appearing on CNN's Crossfire, Fossella argued for Social Security choice. He said "I happen to think the President is on the right side of history here. And I think the more you empower American people, the more you give them the opportunity to invest on their own and being in control of their own destiny and their own retirement, the better off we'll be."[6] In a standardized constituent letter in February 2005, Fossella said "We need to examine the viability of voluntary personal savings accounts in which young people would have the opportunity to invest a small portion of their savings."[7] December 6, 2004 edition of Crossfire. ...

Representative Vito Fossella (R-NY) with men stationed atop the roof of Chemical Ali's house in Kirkuk, Iraq
Representative Vito Fossella (R-NY) with men stationed atop the roof of Chemical Ali's house in Kirkuk, Iraq

In June 2003, Fossella wrote an op-ed for the Washington Times, in which he said "The claims that progress is too slow, the situation unstable and the United States lacks the expertise to get the job done does not reflect reality on the ground in Baghdad, Kirkuk and beyond. Indeed, the critics who complain that the seeds of democracy will not take root in the sands of a desert where tyranny ruled are as wrong today as the pessimists were in 1945." The final sentence of the column was "The United States will fulfill its commitment to Iraq, and then we will depart, having liberated a nation, freed a people and established a democracy of the people, by the people and for the people."[8] In August 2006, Fossella said that leaving Iraq now would "do a disservice to the noble sacrifice that the troops have made on behalf of our national security."[9] Image File history File links Vito_fossella_in_iraq. ... Image File history File links Vito_fossella_in_iraq. ... Ali Hassan al-Majid (born 1941), a first cousin of former President Saddam Hussein, was the Defense Minister of Iraq. ... An Op-Ed is a piece of writing expressing an opinion. ... The Washington Times is a daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C.. It was founded in 1982 as a conservative alternative to the Washington Post by members of the controversial Unification Church. ...


Fossella has a record of working with Democrats. After the 2007 State of the Union Address, Fossella joined with Senator Hillary Clinton to raise awareness for health issues that responders to the 9-11 events have had to endure. Fossella is quoted as saying "We have made progress over the last year to begin getting the resources necessary to help our 9/11 heroes. However, we now need a significant investment by the federal government into health monitoring and treatment for those who are sick or injured. In addition, the federal government must develop a comprehensive plan to address the health impacts of 9/11. We continue urging the White House to provide adequate funding in the 2008 budget to help all those who are sick or injured as a result of the terror attacks." [10] Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947), was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton. ...


Fossella has spoken out against the Bush Administration's handling of appropriating Homeland Security funds.[11]


Legislative initiatives

Fossella's legislative initiatives include the following:

  • Securing $32 million to help purchase three new Staten Island Ferry boats, (amounting to roughly $16 per constituent)
  • Negotiating and securing an agreement between the State Department, the City of New York and the United Nations requiring foreign diplomats to pay motor vehicle citation fines, several million of which were in arrears.
  • Introducing, but failing to pass, legislation withholding US funding to any United Nations Commission that is headed by a nation on the State Department's list of terrorist nations.
  • Helping to establish the Congressional Caucus on South Korea and serves as the body's co-chair. The caucus is a conduit for strengthening U.S.-South Korea relations and also is an "information society" for developments in the North Korea situation.
  • Obtained federal funding to help repair the 86th Street subway station in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn. This station serves as a transfer point where passengers connect to bus service to Staten Island over the Verrazano Bridge.[12]
  • Authored a law to return over $700 million to individual investors by eliminating fees by the SEC with the Investor and Capital Markets Fee Relief Act. The Act was signed into law by President Bush on January 16, 2002.[13]

Staten Island Ferry, with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the background The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry operated by the New York City Department of Transportation between Whitehall Street at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park (South Ferry) and St. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... -1... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Bay Ridge is located in the southwest corner of Brooklyn, New York. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... Staten Island (IPA: ) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ... The Verrazano Narrows Bridge and Staten Island, New York at dawn The Verrazano Narrows Bridge (often written as the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge) is a suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay... “Securities and Exchange Commission” redirects here. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Controversies

Top aides with their own consulting business

Fossella chief of staff Thomas Quaadman and spokesman Craig Donner run a firm called Danton Communications Group, based in Alexandria, Virginia. Between its inception in 2002, and mid-2006, the firm had revenues from local candidates of at least $150,000, including about $40,000 from Fossella.[14] Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia Founded 1718 Government  - Mayor William D. Euille Area  - City  15. ...


In August 2006, the Staten Island Advance reported that the two had ignored guidelines from the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which "strongly" recommend that all House employees maintain "careful records" of political work they do, paid or otherwise. The rules state that "Maintaining such records helps to ensure that no campaign work is done on 'official' time, i.e., time for which the individual is compensated with House funds." Donner said that "There is no requirement to do it," and that the two would consider keeping a formal record of the hours they spend doing political work in the future. Donner added that "We follow the rules rigorously," and "Everything I do is after hours, when I'm home."[14]


Donner's wife separately billed the Fossella campaigns for more than $20,000 of services and supplies between 2004 and mid-2006.[14]


Use of campaign funds

In March 2005, the New York Post reported that Fossella had spent more than $20,000 of campaign funds to pay for restaurant meals during his 2004 re-election campaign. The funds paid for more than 100 meals at restaurants in Washington D.C., New York, and elsewhere. Members of Congress are allowed to bill their campaigns for meals if the dinners are for fund-raising or strategy sessions. Fossella spokesman Craig Donner said the purpose of the dinners complied with those guidelines.[15] The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and the oldest to have been published continually as a daily. ...


In June 2006, the New York Daily News reported that since 2000, Fossella had spent $53,000 in campaign funds on trips to luxury resorts in Las Vegas, Colorado and Florida, often accompanied by with his wife and children. Campaign funds also paid for attending a Jets playoff game in Pittsburgh, playing 18 holes of golf in Key Biscayne, and ski school for his wife and children.[16] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... City East Rutherford, New Jersey Other nicknames Gang Green, the Green and White Team colors Hunter Green and White Head Coach Eric Mangini Owner Woody Johnson General manager Mike Tannenbaum League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Eastern Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference... Map of Key Biscayne Key Biscayne is a village located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ...


The Daily News investigation also found that Fossella often failed to identify the nature of the expenses and several times did not disclose who was paying for his trips; as is required by law. For example, he failed to disclose who paid for a February 25–28, 2001, trip with his wife and children to a conference outside Palm Springs that cost $2,082. Donner stated the trip was paid for by the U.S. Telecom Association, and that omitting the name was "an oversight". In another example the paying organization was not disclosed on another trip, this time in early 2003 to La Hague, on the coast of France.[17] A touch-tone telephone dial The United States Telecom Association is a trade association for telecommunication service suppliers and providers. ...


Fossella insisted that all expenses were for legitimate campaign events or fact-finding missions that are part of his duties in Congress. Donner would not provide the names of donors or what he termed "potential donors" that Fossella met with that justified the campaign expenses.[16]


After the Daily News submitted written questions to Fossella about his financial reporting, he amended 18 disclosure forms that he had previously filed with the Federal Election Commission, dating back to 2000.[16] Fossella also said he fired the accountant who was responsible for reporting his campaign contributions and expenses.[18] The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency created in 1975 by Congress to administer and enforce campaign finance legislation in the United States. ...


Fundraising

In April 2006, Donner said Fossella would likely raise a record $2 million for the current two-year election cycle, which ends on December 31, 2006. Fossella raised $184,000 in the first quarter of 2006[19] and had raised $1,025,000 through the first five quarters of the cycle. In the second quarter of 2006, Fossella raised $157,000, bringing his total for the cycle to $1,172,000. As of June 30, 2006, he had $520,000 cash on hand.[20] As of October, Fossella's total raised was $1.3 million, compared to the original $2 million prediction, but Harrison had only raised about $100,000.[21] is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Debates

In a letter dated July 27, Steve Harrisonchallenged Fossella to debate him. Harrison listed eight dates for Fossella to choose from in the letter. The Congressman's camp initially denied receiving the letter, accusing Harrison of only sending it to the media. (Staten Island Advance 7/28/06)


In mid-August, Harrison invited the media to accompany him to Fossella's campaign office to deliver the letter to Fossella again. Fossella campaign manager Matt Mika, seeing his opponent's entourage and the reporters from the Staten Island Advance and two of the Brooklyn weeklies, quickly typed a response to the letter and faxed it over to Harrison's Brooklyn office at 2:08 pm, eight minutes after Harrison began briefing the press. Mika's response indicated that Fossella would be in Washington during all of the proposed dates and that they would try to come up with alternatives (Staten Island Advance 8/21/06)


In September, Fossella agreed to four debates, more than Susan Molinari and Fossella had been in during all their previous election campaigns combined.[citation needed] In early October, the number was increased to five.[22]


Issues with constituent mailing

On June 29, 2006, the New York Daily News reported that Fossella's campaign had violated House rules by using at least three photos in campaign flyers and in free mailings to constituents that were also on the campaign website. is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...


One of the photos was a shot of the Fossella with Muppet characters Elmo and Rosita. The News noted that Fossella would need to claim that the two Muppets were people in order to avoid violating another Congressional rule. That rule says that members of Congress can use only one photo of themselves alone in any single constituent mailing — but the mailing also showed Fossella standing by himself by the Verrazano Bridge. The Verrazano Narrows Bridge and Staten Island, New York at dawn The Verrazano Narrows Bridge (often written as the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge) is a suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay...


A third problem raised by the Daily News was whether a member of Fossella's Congressional staff took the pictures, a House violation because taxpayer dollars cannot be spent on campaigns.[23]


After the story appeared, Harrison filed a complaint with the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards, arguing that the four Fossella mailings, which he estimated cost $161,000, contained 14 violations. Donner, said the mistake was "inadvertent," the photos had been taken from the internet, and the flyer with one of the photos, of firefighters, would no longer be distributed.[24]


In August, in his response to the investigation by the commission, Donner said, in a sworn affidavit, that the two shots were different photos in sequence from his personal digital Sony DSC-P100 camera. Fossella said in his response to the commission that although Donner, his press secretary, had taken the firefighter photos, "no official funds were used to shoot the photos or to cause their reproduction." Donner did not respond to written questions from the Daily News about how he was able to take campaign and congressional photos within seconds of each other without violating the rule barring staffers from doing campaign work.[25]


Shore Parkway seawall and bike path

In August 2006, the local Courier-Life reported that Harrison, then chair of CB10, and then-District Manager Denise Virga visited Fossella's chief of staff, Tom Quaadman, in 2001 to discuss board priorities, including its number one priority, the repair of the seawall. Harrison said that they "were told it wasn't a federal matter. We received no assistance, not even any interest, from the congressman."[26]


In December 2003, Fossella wrote CB10 that he had "requested $16 million in the Transportation Equity Act currently being developed to be allocated for this specific project."[26] In July 2005, Fossella issued a press release that he had obtained a $5 million federal authorization for the project.[27]. In April 2006 another press release mentioned the authorization, adding "An authorization represents the first step in securing funding for a project, but does not represent an allocation of money."[28].


Actual funding for the project has only come from city and state sources. Mike Mika, campaign spokesperson for Fossella, acknowledged in August 2006 that no federal money had yet been forthcoming for the project, but said that Fossella had, indeed, been instrumental in getting the repairs done. Mika said that "the seawall crumbled during Steve's tenure as Community Board chair. It was Vito Fossella and Craig Eaton (the board's current chair) who worked together to secure the agreement to get the seawall and bike path repaired." Eaton credited the site inspection by the Army Corps of Engineers, which he said Fossella had arranged, as the catalyst for the repairs. Eaton also stated that "Fossella and the community board made the case to the comptroller's office and officials at City Hall that the deteriorating conditions posed a serious threat and that repairs needed to be made immediately."[26] However, Eaton is hardly non-partisan. Eaton is the chair of the Brooklyn Republican Party.


References

  1. ^ a b Jonathan P. Hicks, "Republican Is Chosen To Seek Molinari Seat", The New York Times, June 3, 1997
  2. ^ a b c d Jonathan P. Hicks, "Man in The News — Vito John Fossella Jr.; City Hall To Capitol", New York Times, November 6, 1997
  3. ^ Jonathan P. Hicks, "Question Haunts a Candidate: 'Didn't You Just Run?'", New York Times, November 8, 1994
  4. ^ American Conservative Union ratings of New York state members of Congress
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ Social Security This Week: A Weekly Newsletter on Social Security Reform, week of August 26, 2002 (pdf), Cato Institute
  7. ^ "Dear Friend" letter from Fossella's Congressional office, February 18, 2005, discussing his position on the Social Security system
  8. ^ "Progress in Iraq", opinion column by Fossella, Washington Times, June 4, 2003.
  9. ^ Tom Wrobleski, "Congressional hopeful calls on Bush to begin withdrawal from Iraq: Dems' Harrison says country is less secure from terrorism because of the war", Staten Island Advance, August 23, 2006
  10. ^ Press Release, Senator Clinton[2]
  11. ^ Press Release, [3], July 13, 2005
  12. ^ "R is for repairs at Bay Ridge's 86th St. station" by Rachel Monohan, The New York Daily News January 26, 2007[4]
  13. ^ Press Release, February 10, 2007[5]
  14. ^ a b c Tom Wrobleski, "Firm run by Fossella aides raises issue over ethics: Political PR company may have skirted rules and violated law in Va.", Staten Island Advance, July 3, 2006
  15. ^ Ian Bishop, "Donors Paid Vito's 20G Tab", New York Post, March 14, 2005
  16. ^ a b c Greg. B. Smith, "Jet-set Vito flyin' on campaign cash: Donors & lobbyists fund fact-finding in fun places", New York Daily News, June 25, 2006
  17. ^ Greg. B. Smith, "S.I. pol's tab picked up in Colo.& Florida", New York Daily News, June 24, 2006
  18. ^ Greg. B. Smith, fesses to 'mistakes': But campaign spending lawful, he sez", New York Daily News, June 27, 2006
  19. ^ Terence J. Kivlan, "Fossella war chest bulging with cash, report shows: Spokesman for incumbent GOP congressman says he likely will raise record $2M for current election cycle", Staten Island Advance, April 14, 2006
  20. ^ FEC filing, July 15, 2006, Committee to Re-elect Vito Fossella (large pdf)
  21. ^ Dana Rubinstein, "Critics see Fossella damaged by Bush link", The Brooklyn Papers, November 4, 2006
  22. ^ tom Wrobleski, "AARP chapter to host forum by House candidates", Staten Island Advance, October 8, 2006
  23. ^ Greg B. Smith, "It's funny business in Muppet mailings: Vito broke rules with pix usage", New York Daily News, June 29, 2006
  24. ^ , Kathleen Lucadamo, "Vito's Muppets mess cost 160G, says Dem rival", New York Daily News, June 30, 2006
  25. ^ Greg B. Smith, "Vito's double trouble: Fossella sez Elmo pix are really legit", New York Daily News, August 13, 2006
  26. ^ a b c Helen Klein, Fossella Failed On Shore Road Bike Path, Harrison Charges, Courier-Life Publications, August 10, 2006
  27. ^ "Rep. Fossella & NYC Parks Celebrate Groundbreaking for Repairs to Badly-Damaged Shore Parkway Walkway & Seawall; Fossella Announces $5 Million Federal Authorization for the Restoration Project; Repair Work Includes Complete Restoration of Seawall and Walkway", press release, July 26, 2005
  28. ^ "Rep. Fossella & CB 10 Chair Eaton Update Community on Progress of Shore Parkway Walkway & Seawall Reconstruction: Restoration Reaches Midway Point With Remaining Work Expected to be Completed This Summer", press release, April 5, 2006

is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institutes stated mission is to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets, and peace by striving to achieve greater involvement... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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Preceded by
Alfred C. Cerullo, 3d
New York City Council, 51st District
1994–1997
Succeeded by
Stephen J. Fiala
Preceded by
Susan Molinari
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 13th congressional district

1997–
Succeeded by
Incumbent

  Results from FactBites:
 
Welcome to the website for the 13th Congressional District of NY (265 words)
Congressman Vito Fossella today urged residents to contact his office to obtain information on the status and safety of...
Congressman Vito Fossella today called for quick approval of federal disaster assistance for residents of Brooklyn...
To date Vito has voted to reduce wasteful federal spending for FY 2008 by at least:
Vito Fossella - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (3183 words)
Fossella was born on Staten Island into a Roman Catholic family of Irish and Italian extraction.
Fossella, the fourth of seven children, was a basketball player at Monsignor Farrell High School, where he got his first taste of politics in the student council.
Fossella campaign manager Matt Mika seeing his opponent's entourage and the reporters from the Staten Island Advance and two of the Brooklyn weeklies quickly typed a response to the letter and faxed it over to the Democrat's Brooklyn office at 2:08 pm, eight minutes after Harrison began briefing the press before the event.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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