Published: March 8, 2010

As the battle for the 13th SD seat heads into the final stretch, 32BJ is ramping up its efforts to help Assemblyman Jose Peralta defeated expelled former Sen. Hiram Monserrate.

The union is planning to spend close to $50,000, according to a spokeswoman, which could turn out to be among the largest independent expenditures in sprint campaign leading up to the March 16 special election.

The 32BJ plan for Peralta includes a series of mailers, the first of which is being sent out today and appears in full after the jump.

The front of the mailer features an Elmhurst resident and the following statement:

    "All the politicians in Albany talk about helping families like mine, but at the end of the day, they just seem to give away tax breaks to millionaires, while we struggle to find good paying jobs with benefits."

That sentiment strikes me as kind of odd and perhaps more in keeping with a national campaign than a legislative race, especially since it was the Democrats in the Senate and Assembly who pushed last year for the so-called millionaires tax - the temporary increase in the PIT - that could hardly be called pro-rich.

The mailer goes on to tout Peralta's record on such union-friendly issues as pushing for an increase in the minimum wage and creating "green" jobs.

As Election Day draw near, 32BJ will also be reaching out to the 1,500 of its members who live in the district through phone banking, door knocking and more mail.