As I write this on Monday morning, Juan Gonzalez of the NY Daily News is reporting that Senator Hiram Monserrate has decided to rejoin the Democrats in Albany.
Among the reasons, why Monserrate says he’s switching back, according to Gonzalez:
"I've received assurances from my fellow Democrats that several pieces of progressive legislation I support will be brought to the floor for a vote," Monserrate said.
The No. 1 issue for him, he said, was a bill to end vacancy decontrol and reestablish rent regulations over thousands of apartments in the city.
However, this weekend, the Albany Times-Union reported on how the deal to get Monserrate and his fellow turncoat Pedro Espada came about it.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=810055&category=REGION
Among the reasons why Espada switched (for at least the 2nd time in his career) to the Republicans, according to the Times-Union:
In the spring, Espada told Pigeon that working under Smith was impossible. He said Aponte was ordering around committee chairmen, specifically attempting to get Espada to run his Housing Committee with a favorable vote on a bill to control rents in New York City.
So Monserrate claims that his problem with the Senate Democratic leaders was that progressive legislation like rent control was not being voted on. And to that, he aligned himself with the Senator who was resisting pressure from the Senate Democratic leaders to allow a vote on rent control?
Maybe Fred Dicker can explain this!