Nobody Asked Me, But
Modern Day Robber Barons
Why is the Post the only paper still going after the council's UFT puppet act last week? Yesterday's story How the UFT owns the Council. Today's Post editorial HOW TO BUY A CITY COUNCIL which pointed out that 30 in-house UFT lobbyists are assigned to bird-dog lawmakers. . . The Times which has yet to write anything about Puppetgate had a corruption story today about lobbyists, but talked mostly about how Bush 41's Carlyle Group made money on the pension kick-back pay-to-play operation, that former controller Hevesi's campaign consultant Hank Morris is under indictment for: N.Y. Pension Deals Seen as Focus of Wide Inquiry . . . You would think that this indictment alone would ignite a series of media investigations about campaign consultants, yet not a word has been said. It gets worse. Every candidate running for City Controller this year has hired campaign consultants who also are lobbyists, or have developed other ways of making money off of those they elect, such as Morris stands accused of doing. . . By the way, what is about happen to the council investigation that tax payers are still paying the legal bills for? That involved consultants also A Letter to Garcia: (Michael) Garcia U.S. Attorney The Daily Gotham - we were told months ago that the Times was working on a big series on member items and the council's abuse. Perhaps they are waiting until after the council elections this year.
These modern day campaign consultants are truly today's Robber Barons, untouchable by the media which they constantly feed with tips on stories. Even a recent Daily News series about Albany's dysfunction did not talk about campaign consultants who also work as lobbyists. It's funny that we have all these campaign finance rules to prevent pay-to-play and yet the very people who are running the campaign are untouched by any these checks and balances. They are like old time Robber Barons: above the law. Many of them work together as sub contractors for each other and see all pols as interchangeable puppets to make money off of: Lobbyist predicts to clients Gov. will step aside. . .
Today's Times column by Haberman Mayor Gets the G.O.P. to Let Him In, talks about the Republican leader in the Bronx who delivered the vote Bloomberg needed to get the GOP line, but failed to say who Joseph J. Savino leads. There are no GOP elected officials in the Bronx. The Bronx, much larger than SI, has the smallest amount of registered republicans in the city. He does have jobs to offer at the Board of Elections: Cheap politics. This is what the mayor thinks of the BOE: NYC Board of Elections: Bloomberg's allegation Against Board of ... More about the county leader Tammany Hall-type control of ballot access for minor parties in the city: Tammany’s Ballot Control Again and Again.
We always knew that dysfunctional Albany was full of something. Today's Daily News editorial makes it clear to all just what they are full of Flushing your money away: State wastes big bucks on pols' bathrooms while closing beaches. We think that Albany should not have scaled back the state parks for spending on their new bathrooms.
The City '$WIPE' A TAXI: TLC CONSIDERING CAB-FARE CARDS *** KNOCK & IT'LL BE OPENED: DOLAN READY FOR GRAND ST. PAT'S ENTRANCE *** SCHOOLKIDS IN FOR SUGAR SHOCK *** RADIO DAZE IN SUBWAY HIT: A city official hit by a No. 1 train could have been spared injury had the conductor and operator used their radios correctly, NYC Transit says. Ronald Melichar, of the Department of Small *** Parks Dept stuck on stupid at Reservoir From Save Ridgewood Reservoir *** New Archbishop Re-Introduces Himself To The City *** Despite Loss, Mets Season Opener A Hit At Citi Field *** City UFT brass in the spotlight *** Washington Square Arch Interior Revealed *** Homemade Pot Remains A Growth Industry Around Town *** City Room: Harlem After the Boom *** Botched alerts led to subway running man over *** Taxi plan would use cell-phone blockers to halt chatty hacks *** Black-and-white cover-up in cop-on-cop shooting, says bombshell suit *** City orders work stopped at ex-Lundy's Inspection finds new violation *** Bloomberg the Obama Guy *** Two Bronx Libraries Are Made Landmarks *** New Tour Offers Glimpse Into City's Dark Side *** New School President Draws Support From Trustees *** State's Revenue An Added Burden For MTA *** Long After Death, Mayor LaGuardia Influences NY Dining *** Roommates Forever? Seniors Seeking Shares on the Rise *** Technology Upgrades Envisioned for Taxi of Tomorrow
Campaign Issues . . . But No Discussion? RECYCLING PUSH FOR THE LONG HAUL Garbage costs are piling up. Moving trash from a Brooklyn transfer station to other states via rail instead of traditional garbage trucks costs $134 per ton -- up from $85 per ton last *** MORE TRANSIT CUTS LOOMING: MTA TAKES NEW $200M HIT *** Drop in State Revenue May Mean Further Cuts, the M.T.A. Says *** $200M hole opens in MTA's 2009 budget *** Is the MTA suffocating small businesses? *** Critics: NYC cuts will kill 10,000 builder jobs
Road to City Hall From AM-NY:Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he doesn't believe a bad economy leads to more violent crime *** Bloomberg Calls For Changes To Virginia Gun Policy *** Bloomberg Goes Campaigning in Virginia *** Much Vilified, Financial Titans Find a Friend in Bloomberg *** How Bloomberg Knows Who’s Not a Killer *** In Flushing, Bloomberg Courts Asian Voters *** A Political Mayor? Nah, Couldn't Be *** There's TV Ad Blitzes … and There's YouTube *** Healthcare Reform Is Too Important to Fail by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Dennis Rivera *** Bloomberg slams Va. candidate's gun stance *** Mike blasts foe's 'negative ad' It's hard to compare the barely existent campaigns of any mayoral hopeful to Mayor Bloomberg's cash-rich, highly coordinated reelection machine - but ... *** It's a guessing game who'll replace Ruben *** In light of Bloomberg's efforts to land a ballot trifecta (GOP, Independence and WFP), Steve Kornacki floats the idea of ending cross-endorsements in New York *** Edward-Isaac Dovere writes “Morgenthau is said to have been so frustrated at points that there have been considerations of [Cy] Vance exiting the race, followed either with him backing Richard Aborn, or even getting back into the race himself.” *** Bloomberg Aide Declares Thompson the First 'Negative' Campaigner
Pay to Play MIKE EYES FINANCE BOSS HANKY-PANKY *** City Looks Into Romance Involving Finance Official *** Investigators Take Closer Look at Rep. Jackson in Blagojevich Case *** Blagojevich Headed for Arraignment *** Taxpayers pay billionaire developer $21.5M - to do nothing at all!
Albany Comptroller DiNapoli first in releasing tax returns *** Unions Go on Attack Over Paterson’s Layoff Threat *** Cuomo Tries to Enforce Notification to Debtors *** Bill Hammond writes that the state needs to know Andrew Cuomo better before he’s tapped as governor ***
Spitzer to Run for AG? *** Gov. David Paterson submits legislation to allow more federal aid for the unemployed *** The judge ruling on the 20th absentee ballots calls in sick, will be back Wednesday. Murphy’s lead over Tedisco shrinks to 25. One of Murphy’s attorneys alleges ethnic bias *** A court upholds the state’s attempts to strip pensions from double-dippers *** D'Amato For DiNapoli *** Gov. David Paterson started calling GOP senators with the promise of pork-barrel funding if they agree to vote for an MTA bailout *** Union ad against Paterson *** David Paterson is extending unemployment benefits *** State Transportation Commissioner Astrid Glynn said now is "as good a juncture as any" to resign *** Paterson To Push Same-Sex Marriage Bill *** What the New York Post doesn't say is that we're paying the cellphone companies' taxes *** NY pension fund sends taxpayers the tab *** NY to Trump: Pay interest on Jones Beach rent
President Obama O EYES CUBA LIBRE: EASING SANCTIONS, FAMILY-TRAVEL BAN *** Obama's economic update a hedge to good news *** Obama welcomes UN action on NKorea missile launch *** Obama travels aimed at re-engaging hemisphere *** Obama vows US aims to halt piracy on high seas *** Obama Opens Door to Cuba, but Only a Crack *** How to End a War, Eisenhower's Way Bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq might require President Obama to be like Ike *** Air Force Officials Agree on an Obama Cutback *** Obama adviser sees additional job losses... *** WSJ: Obama Taps Fannie Mae Chief Allison To Run Bailout
Congress Latest round in Minn. Senate race goes to Franken *** The Caucus: Another Blow to Coleman in Minn *** Al Franken wins Minnesota senate race, court rules *** Former Congressman Pleads Guilty To Drunk Driving Charges *** Fossella to Serve 5 Days After Drunken Driving Plea *** Republicans Scramble To Show They Have Ideas With New "Solutions Center" *** Steele Attacks Obama In "Blame America First" Mass Mailing
National In Shift, Labor Groups Reach Accord on Immigration *** NYT Editorial: Immigration Reform and Hard Times *** Biking Has Its (Tax) Benefits. Or Does It? *** The American Way Since Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 120,000 Americans have been killed in nonterror homicides, most committed with guns. Yet the idea of doing something about the insane number of guns is a nonstarter, Herbert, NYT, The A.B.A. and Judicial Nominees The American Bar Association, which will vet judicial nominees, needs to ensure that its evaluators make assessments based on merits, not on political pressure, NYT Ed *** SURGE IN DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS; WASHINGTON VOWS SYMPATHY *** Taxpayer Delinquencies Surge *** Amazon.com strips many gay and lesbian books of ranking *** Navy SEALs' Steady Hands *** Columbine Lessons Are Re-Examined *** Los Angeles Port's Rivals Make Gains
Wall Street Mess Goldman Posts Profit and Plans Share Sale *** Glamour Dims as Hecklers Hit the Auto Show *** HSBC Confirms Possible Sale of 3 Office Buildings *** Goldman Would Use Share Sale to Return Bailout Money *** Live Blogging the Goldman Earnings Call *** Chrysler Lenders Expected to Counter Treasury *** Qantas Airways Sharply Cuts Annual Profit Forecast *** Group Seeks Bankruptcy for Madoff *** Study Says Small-Car Buyers Sacrifice Safety *** Singapore Forecasts Even Worse 2009 for Its Economy *** More Hotels Facing an Uncertain Future *** Governor: Michigan 'Can Live With' GM Bankruptcy *** Rolling the Dice on Casinos *** CEOs rake it in as their companies die *** The Most Ethical Companies on Earth *** Did BofA Break the Law? *** Bank Vet Pegged to Run Bailout *** Older Borrowers, Out in the Cold *** U.S. Retail Sales Show New Weakness *** Boosting Morale After Layoffs *** Hedge-Fund Firm Dips Into Mutuals *** The New Condo Reality
International Cuban-Americans optimistic, wary of new Cuba rules *** U.S. May Drop Key Condition for Talks With Iran *** North Korea Says It Will Restart Plant and Boycott Talks *** Militants Threaten Pakistan’s Core *** Thai Protesters Begin to Disperse *** Fujimori’s Instructive Fall: It was heartening to see the Peruvian Supreme Court find Peru’s former president, Alberto Fujimori, guilty of human-rights abuses, NYT Ed *** Unemployment Surges in Germany’s Golden City *** Singapore Forecasts Even Worse 2009 for Its Economy *** China: Bank Says It Is World’s Largest *** Lloyd's Of London Eyes Islamic Reinsurance *** Iraq's military sues to shut newspaper, TV station in Baghdad... *** The Story You Aren't Hearing About Israel by Mort Zuckerman *** North Korea Restarts Nuclear Program *** Pakistan Deal Gives Taliban New Clout *** North Korea to Boycott Six-Party Talks
Media The New York Times Could Always Just Start a LiveJournal: The 'Times' yesterday had three stories about the media's epic struggle to stay afloat. Way to be self-referential, 'Times'! And they say newspapers are having trouble adjusting to the Internet *** Disney Expert Uses Science to Draw Boy Viewers *** Utility in the Jumble of Tweets Should companies mine social networking posts for data on consumer attitudes? *** Putting Twitter’s World to Use *** MillerCoors and Asics Bring Action to Ads on ESPN *** HBO plans Clinton/Obama/Palin movie.... *** Marriott Cuts Newspaper Delivery *** Chicago Tribune To Cut Newsroom 20% *** Chuck Todd To Get MSNBC Weekend Politics Show *** Chris Wallace On Playing Newsman With Stepdad, Why Roger Ailes Is Like Roone Arledge *** Tweeting New York
