Following several successful advocacy efforts for clients, Albany-based government relations and communications firm, PC Public Affairs, continues its exponential growth with the addition of seasoned political veteran and democratic strategist Cort Ruddy.

Joining PC Public Affairs as a partner, Ruddy brings to the growing firm statewide media abilities and a breadth of experience in politics and government at the state and national level.  Beginning his career as journalist in Washington, Ruddy became the speechwriter for then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2003, serving in that role until the end of 2004.  He then returned to his native Upstate New York to become chief of staff for State Senator Dave Valesky.  In that time he also served as the communications director and campaign manager for the successful campaigns of Senator Darrel Aubertine, now the Agriculture Commissioner.  Most recently, Ruddy was the Upstate Director for a NYC-based political strategy firm.

“We are excited to add such a dynamic and experienced professional to our team, reinforcing our credentials as one of the best, young public affairs firms in New York,” said PC Public Affairs Managing Partner Andre Claridge.  “Cort brings his talent as a writer and his reputation as a top communications strategist, along with strong relationships in Albany and Washington.”

The recent growth is part of a trend at PC Public Affairs, which saw the addition of three other well-known Albany professionals in the past year.

Well-known radio personality and media veteran Jason Keller joined PC Public Affairs last summer, becoming the firm’s director of Media Relations.  Last fall, long-time senate majority policy expert Kandi Terry joined PC Public Affairs to become the firm’s director of Government Relations.  Kandi brings to PC Public Affairs vast experience in Criminal Justice, Transportation and State Budget issues, as well as networks in both houses of the legislature.  And this January, Thomas O’Connor, the former Assistant CEO of the State Liquor Authority and an Assistant Commissioner for at the Department of Environmental Conservation, joined the firm bringing his intricate knowledge of executive branch agencies and the state legislature.

“PC Public Affairs is well positioned to serve an array of current and future clients in all areas of public affairs,” said Claridge. “We are excited to be growing and moving forward, offering strategic insight and advocacy for all our clients.”

Before Founding PC Public Affairs, Claridge, a former speechwriter and policy staffer for Governor George E. Pataki, served as a former VP at Fleishman Hillard Government Relations/Mercury Public Affairs, and was a Partner at Capitol Group, LLC.   At PC Public Affairs, he has served as a lobbyist, communications strategist and business consultant for a host of clients in the transportation, defense, energy and public safety sectors.

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The company behind it, Trans Tech Bus of Orange County, says the bus runs on two lithium-ion batteries.  The company says electricity saves a lot of money versus diesel fuel normal buses use.  It can charge overnight, keeping energy costs even lower and Trans Tech hopes to produce more of them.

“It’s being manufactured, as I stated, in Warwick, New York and currently, no other location in the US or worldwide,” said Dan Daniels, Trans Tech Bus President.

This bus will head to San Joaquin Valley in California, where one out of five children in that area use inhalers because of the poor air quality.  The electric buses do not emit pollutants.

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Supervisor Chris Koetzle said marketing has been a goal of the town for the past few years. PC Public Affairs would be responsible for creating a brochure, reaching out to local businesses and beefing up the town’s social media presence.

“It’s important for companies around the world to be able to find Glenville on a map,” he said.

Because it is a professional service, the town did not have to solicit bids. Rather, Koetzle reached out to four firms and brought PC Public Affairs to the Glenville Small Business and Economic Development Committee for its input. The committee recommended hiring the company.

Koetzle said the firm has experience in governmental affairs and business outreach efforts.

Managing partner Andre Claridge said the company tailors the marketing plan for each client. After sitting down with town officials to discuss what it wants, the company will assess the town, its economic development potential and the pros and cons of locating a business in the town of Glenville.

Although that analysis has not yet begun, Claridge said based on what he already knows about Glenville, he believes it is well-positioned for growth. It has low taxes compared with places like East Greenbush, Albany and Schenectady.

“I think Glenville has a lot to offer in terms of a nice community,” he said.

Claridge was a speech writer for former Gov. George Pataki. Members of his team also have experience working on the “I Love NY” campaign.

Other clients have included the Rudy A. Ciccotti Family Recreation Center in Colonie and Trans Tech Bus, an all-electric school bus manufacturer based in Warwick.

Richmor Aviation Chief Financial Officer James Valachovic, president of the Glenville Small Business and Professional Association, spoke in support of the measure at Wednesday’s meeting. Valachovic said the town’s strengths are its proximity to General Electric, GlobalFoundries and the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

In addition, the town is near Thruway Exit 26, an active rail freight line and an industrial park.

He pointed out that a recent article in Forbes magazine rated the Albany-Schenectady area as fourth best in the country for jobs.

Resident John Gaetani said he was not sure how he felt about the proposal. “I’m not really sure we need an advertising company — or whatever this is,” he said.

Koetzle said it was not done under the “cloak of darkness.” The town has mentioned several times it planned to hire a marketing firm and even received inquires as a result of the publicity.

The $12,000 is being tapped from the town’s Revitalization and Economic Development Initiative (REDI) fund. The money in that fund last year went toward a program that allows businesses to refurbish their signs. There is still some money for three or four applications this year.

Deputy Supervisor Alan Boulant said he believes it is worth the investment to develop the town.

“You have to spend a little bit of money to make money,” Boulant said.

Glenville has underutilized assets such as Schenectady County Airport and the property at the former Scotia Navy Depot, which is in the process of being turned over from the federal government to local officials.

Another goal is business retention, according to Boulant.

Boulant said he has received a lot of phone calls from developers praising the town’s approach to encouraging growth. The town is planning a forum for potential developers. “There is quite the buzz through the business community. I think it’s going to be well attended,” Boulant said.

PC Public Affairs recently brought in one of the Capital Region’s media A-listers, Jason Keller, to head up its media division.  Keller is the firm’s Director of Media Relations and is a former media personality at 102.7 EQX (one of the nation’s best known independently owned alternative rock stations located in Manchester, Vermont).  Jason Keller has worked with high-profile clients like Apple, Molson, MSG and most recently helped launch the nation’s first mass production of an electric school bus by Trans Tech Bus of Warwick, NY.

The firm is providing strategic communications, government relations and business development services.  To see two of the stories that came as a result of the firm’s strategic communications services, click the name of following publications to see the articles: School Bus Fleet Article or School Transportation News Article.  Additional coverage included, but was not limited to Fox News, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal.

Most recent Wall Street Journal article.

The Governor introduced his property tax cap bill in January, but it wasn’t until after the state’s budget was passed in April that state legislators and staff began working toward an agreement on capping property taxes and bringing mandate relief to local governments and school districts.

After careful review of the Governor’s property tax cap and mandate relief bill, PC Public Affairs lobbying team identified a number of issues that would have potentially harmed New York’s school children and the school bus contractor industry.  One of the most concerning, was Governor Cuomo’s proposal to repeal section 2023 of the Education Law.  His proposal would have forced schools districts to stop certain school bus services in the event their budgets failed to gain voter approval – forcing many children to find other means of transportation or even walking to school.

Once negotiations began on the tax cap bill, it was clear there were also a number of proposals coming out of the legislature that could potentially harm the school bus contractor industry for years to come.  From transportation contract piggybacking to unrealistic school bus ridership restrictions, there was an all out assault on pupil transportation and private contractors.

“The pupil transportation industry has unjustly had a target on its back for the last four years,” said Andre Claridge, Managing Partner, PC Public Affairs.  “Years of fiscal mismanagement and overspending by previous Governors and legislatures created a situation where many Albany politicians and bureaucrats are desperate to find revenue to support their big-government spending initiatives.  So rather than turn to an industry that saves state and local taxpayers over $200 million every year, they instead turn to the same failed government systems that have made New York State one of the highest taxed states in the nation.”

“Our job is to ensure the voice of New York’s school bus contractors, distributors and manufacturers are heard and that the laws coming out of Albany do not negatively impact the school bus industry, said Claridge.  “We were fully engaged throughout the entire negotiation process surrounding the property tax cap and mandate relief bill.  We worked hard to block harmful initiatives like contract piggybacking and a provision in the Governor’s bill that would have forced schools to stop providing busing services until their budgets received voter approval.”

Summary of government affairs results pertaining to the new Property Tax Cap and Mandate Relief Law signed by Governor Cuomo on June 24, 2011:

1. Governor Cuomo’s property tax cap and mandate relief proposal repealed Sec. 2023 of the Education Law forcing schools to stop school bus services if a school budget failed to gain voter approval.  Lobbying efforts were successful in stopping Governor Cuomo from repealing Sec. 2023 of the Education Law ensuring that school bus services remain an ordinary and contingent expense and continue even if a school budget fails to gain voter approval.
2. Lobbying efforts blocked a piggybacking initiative being pushed by Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Thiele that would have allowed school districts to share transportation services for students living on shared transportation routes by entering into a joint contract with another school district and that school district’s transportation contractor without going out to bid.
3. An amended version of Senator Martins’ bill that sought to clarify the law regarding pupil transportation ridership was included in the tax cap law.  The new law provides for a 10% ridership cushion and also provides for a backup plan for emergency situations to ensure there are enough seats and buses available.  Nothing exempts schools from providing transportation to those children that need it.  The government affairs team worked with Senator Martins and Senate Education Committee staff to ensure the law would not negatively impact the school bus industry.
4. The legislative team was successful in getting school district expenditures for transportation leasing and transportation capital debt service exempted from the tax cap.  The Governor’s bill originally included them as expenditures that could be subjected to the tax cap.

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(left to right) -- Andre Claridge of PC Public Affairs, actor Chazz Palmenteri of A Bronx Tale, and Frederico Polsinelli of PC Public Affairs.

June 6, 2011 — Albany, NY, PC Public Affairs helped make the Italian American Legislative Conference a huge success by hosting actor Chazz Palmenteri at this year’s events in Albany and Troy, NY. The New York actor, who is famous for writing and staring in the film “A Bronx Tale” among many others, received recognition for his life accomplishments at a ceremony held in Troy, NY.  New York Lt. Governor Duffy and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos also presented Mr. Palmenteri with official resolutions recognizing his achievements and valuable contributions to the Italian American culture.

“It was a hard fought battle,” said Claridge.  ”Working closely with the industry, we made our case to the legislature and the Governor’s Office and won on the merits of the issue.  We represent an important industry that helps safely transport over 1.3 million children to school all while saving New York taxpayers over $200 million a year.”

The budget battle started in January when Governor Cuomo released his budget proposal to the legislature.  The Governor’s budget included a number of well intentioned provisions to help school districts save money on their transportation services, unfortunately, the Governor’s proposal did not consider the negative impact it would have had on the school bus contractors and bus distributor industries.

The Governor’s budget proposal would have…

…allowed school districts to enter into shared service agreements with other school districts and government entities – and unfairly excluded contractors from bidding on or competing with school districts for the work.

…allowed school districts to enter into unspecified cost-effective management agreements set forth by the State Education Department (SED) – there was no mention of considering contractors or how SED would have determined what was cost-effective.  Nothing required school districts to disclose their true costs of providing pupil transportation services which would have put contractors at an unfair disadvantage.  Nothing in the Governor’s proposal required the state or SED to recognize the significant savings that contractors currently provide to the state, school districts and taxpayers.

…limited the purchasing or replacing of school buses unless it was deemed by SED to be a cost-effective solution.

…prevented the replacement of school buses of 10 or more passengers unless it was older than 10 years and had mileage of more than 120,000 miles.

…prevented the replacement of school buses of less than 10 passengers unless it was older than 6 years and had a mileage of more than 75,000.

…required that if a lease were to be extended beyond the expected life of a school bus, that it be demonstrated to SED that leasing the bus would cost less than owning the bus.

“It was clear from the outset that the Cuomo administration failed to recognize the negative impact these particular proposals would have had on our client,” said Claridge. “It certainly was not intentional, it’s just an unfortunate reality at times that good government ideas do not always get fully vetted before they are introduced. Even the best ideas can have unintended consequences; it’s our job to ensure we educate the politicians and their staff to ensure that our clients and the taxpayers of our state are protected.”

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