Here is the second half of a list of eight big stories in '08, that started with Wednesday's column, that didn't necessarily occur with a defining event, but have long-term consequences.

POWER SHIFT #- While a lot of attention has been spent on the trials and tribulations of the leadership battle for the New York State Senate #- if as expected, Sen. Michael Nozzolio ends up in the minority for the first time in 16 years - that will be a major shift that will take getting used to. Nozzolio, knowing the intricacies of Albany better than most, has been the local go to person for decades #- resulting in great constituent service (still likely) and a boon in big ticket member items (not likely).

NEW FRIENDS #- The flipside of this change in the Senate is that Cayuga County's other senator, David Valesky, D-Oneida, suddenly has a lot of new friends now that he is likely to be catapulted into the majority. The problem for many is that they have relied on Nozzolio for so long (he lives in Seneca County and has represented Cayuga County for more than 26 years) that some are just making a point of outreach to Valesky, who has represented parts of Auburn and Owasco and points north in the county for the last four years.

A LOSS #- While this week there are remembrances of Congressman James T. Walsh's service to his constituents, his seniority gained in two decades in Washington is going to be sorely missed #- at least financially. As one of the “cardinals” (a subcommittee chair of the House Appropriations Committee) he delivered what often doesn't come back from Washington #- aid. For decades Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan complained how New York sent more money to Washington than it got back, while other states saw the reverse (many in the Midwest and South). Walsh helped to dampen that trend, including funding for two seawalls (Little Sodus and Owasco Lake) and the Geospatial Center at Cayuga Community College. While his successor, Dan Maffei, will join the majority this week, other than being given funds to bring back home to strengthen his re-election campaign in 2010 #- it will take years for him to be able to bring the cumulative spending power Walsh gave to his district.

WHERE IS HE? #- Gov. David Paterson has now been governor for nearly nine months, but with the rare excursion outside (Cortland) the big five media markets (Albany, Buffalo, New York, Rochester and Syracuse) he has rarely traveled to the other 50 some counties that make up the Empire State. If he wants to win in 2010, he needs to visit places like Cayuga, Oswego, Seneca and Wayne counties. He might want to take a page out of Sen. Chuck Schumer's playbook #- the senior senator from Queens makes it a point to visit every county at least once annually.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com