A crusading lawyer from New York City and his student group are taking their message of reform to Rochester.

     Students4reform.com's television ads here, which start this weekend, will take on Gov. George E. Pataki, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblywoman Susan John, D-Rochester. They will charge that the Albany politicians aren't pushing for campaign finance reform and lobbying reform.

     "Rochester is first because you have a reputation as a community that cares about good-government issues," said Charles Juntikka, a bankruptcy attorney and the financial and organizing force behind the student group.

     College students from New York state, mostly from New York City, produce the ads.

     Initially the ads will concentrate in Rochester, but by later in the week they will branch out to other places upstate, Juntikka said.

     The ad in Rochester featuring John and Silver criticizes their voting record on measures to curb gift-giving by lobbyists to lawmakers. Since 2000 the group has targeted 28 state lawmakers, including John and Assemblyman David Koon, D-Perinton, for television and direct mail campaigns.

     John said she doesn't understand why she is targeted because she once got the lobbyist gift-giving bill to the floor of the Assembly.

     "It undermines their credibility," John said.

     "But this kind of thing just comes with the territory."

     Juntikka said John also voted for a watered-down version of the law. "Just because you do one good thing that makes up for the bad thing?"

     A Westchester County lawmaker will be among the targets of student-produced television advertisements criticizing politicians for not reforming the campaign finance system.

     Sen. Nicholas Spano, R-Yonkers, is one of five legislators attacked in ads by Students4Reform, a New York City group of high school and college students organized by lawyer Charles Juntikka seeking to reduce the influence of big-money campaign donors on the states political system. The ads are expected to air in Albany and the New York City area starting April 8.

     "Politicians are partying with big-money lobbyists," the ad begins. It shows pictures of Spano and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, Rensselaer County, topped by drawing of party hats.