Newspapers Coverage of the Budget Crisis: A Tail of Two Standards of Coverage

SHARE THE PAIN, DAVE (Post Ed)

Bloomberg to Send Rebate Checks (Newsday)


State Budget Battle Made Personal Against Paterson The Post combines the MTA fare hike with the gov tax and fee hike and calls it a DOUBLE WHAMMY against outraged New Yorkers, calling it the last straw for the middle class. The Post continues the everyman angle as its editorial page attacks the iTune tax as a good example of the taxes that have been driving commerce and 200,000 people out of the state for years. Post's Dicker attacks the gov for lack of real cuts and creativity *** The Times delivers the M.T.A.'s Board political message that the fare hikes can be reduced and service reductions limited if the state acts to increase aid *** Legislators consider the governor's budget a starting point, not an end result *** Paterson budget has plenty of bad news for those under 30


Budget plan could spring chronically ill violent inmates (Daily News) *** Gov has promise to keep: Increase the basic welfare grant (Daily News, Lewis) *** Police Union Criticizes Effort to Reduce a Pension Benefit *** Bloomberg explains why he thinks the new tier is a good idea *** City big stirs a stink over state ordered raises for kid-care workers *** Shoe's for you, MTA! inspired by Iraqi who threw shoes at Bush *** The governor's plan to wipe out Board of Elections inspectors could lead to more fraud, a good government lobbyist says.

City Hall Budget Done Quietly Without Personal Blame or Debate Council Is Set to Approve Higher Hotel and Property Taxes *** Bloomberg is ready to mail out $400 property tax rebate checks to homeowners within the next few weeks *** The Council will vote on the agreement today *** Costs of the Budget Deal *** BUDGET PROBLEMS FORCE Queens Botanical Garden to close for 2 weeks *** Hundreds of NY properties in danger of failure, investors will soon be able to capitalize on falling prices *** ACS FUNDING IS THREATENED *** Rescue reignites feud over firehouse staffing on City Island *** Jobless clubs on the rise as the recession hits *** Architect drops ax on Atlantic Yards staff *** FEDEX ELEX GOOF CITED

The Senate Campaign
New York Pols with nowhere to go upset with all the lateral moves . . . Bloomberg extends term limits . . . Hillary and Kennedy blocking them from the senate seat . . . What about our shot?

One of the possible senate appointees thinks Paterson has not made up his mind yet and that is why the Times says Mayor’s Aide Kevin Sheekey is Pushing so Hard for Kennedy. NYERS BET ON KENNEDY BUT POLL SAYS THEY WANT ANDY - Post *** Daily News - What are Kennedy's Views on Issues? And reports she has taken her pitch upstate *** Caroline speaks Video and Video of Caroline's rough ride to the Senate *** Peter King "I could beat Kennedy" - Video *** A better way to pick Hillary Clinton's replacement *** Kennedy is scheduled to meet with the Rev. Al Sharpton today.

Judicial Politics
The head of the Commission on Judicial Nomination offered more detail on how candidates to replace Chief Judge Judith Kaye were selected.

Tip of the Ice Berg?

Eliot Spitzer lost money with Bernie Madoff, who is now under house arrest in his eastside $7 million dollar pent house *** Madoff Scandal Shaking Real Estate Industry (Times) *** Post says FEDS EYE WIFE and NIECE GOT CLEANED OUT, TOO *** Mets owner who lost $500 million is in "disbelief" (Post) *** SEC doing what whistleblower asked, 9 years too late (Daily News) *** Madoff Family Filled Posts at Industry Groups that police the financial industry (WSJ) *** AG takes himself out of Madoff fraud probe *** Eliot Spitzer will be a panelist for a March forum on how Washington, not Wall Street, is to blame the financial crisis *** LIPA was subpoenaed in the FBI probe of former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno *** Why The SEC Missed Madoff (Forbes)

Washington Report - O, BUSH & 3 EX-CHIEFS TO DO LUNCH at WHITEHOUSE *** O WAS CIG MAN ON CAMPUS *** Chrysler to close all 30 of its plants for a month *** Pro-Life Rick Warren to Give Invocation at Obama Inauguration *** Gay leaders furious with Obama (Politico, Smith)

NY's Smoke and Mirror Political Parties

Brooklyn has 49 elected officials - 16 Councilmembers, 8 State Senators, 19 Assemblyman and 6 Congressmembers. Only one Senator Martin Golden is a Republican. And that one will be gone in 2012 when his gerrymandering district is redrawn by a Democratic majority redistricting team.

New York's restrictive ballot process gives a small group of party insiders a bargaining chip with citywide and statewide candidates. Over time the city's Republican Party has changed from an agenda of issues to a patronage operation- trading endorsements for jobs for the insiders and their families and friends. Two's A Crowd At Brooklyn GOP Holiday Party

The Conservative Party which received less than 0.4% on its line in the 2006 race for governor is another example of selling ballot access for patronage. Its long time leader Michael Long had his family and friends on the payroll during the Pataki administration. Long from time to time writes a column in the Post and is often quoted in the press.

Media Meltdown Washington News Bureaus Are Shrinking *** Random House eliminates 22 jobs *** Hunting the Talking Heads: Some execs see a shopportunity in networks’ widespread cuts.