The Sad State of Journalism in NY
A son of state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. escaped criminal charges yesterday by pleading guilty to a harassment violation for attacking a 76-year-old blogger at a political rally. Alejandro Espada, 30, the director of one of his father's health clinics, must pay $432 in restitution to replace City Hall blogger Rafael Martinez Alequin's camera. The blogger is unhappy with the deal the DA made with the son of the majority leader. Where are the journalist rallying behind Martinez? There are busy running away from him where he works in City Hall. They are upset he is causing reforms in the way the city issues press passes. If only those reporters who used Martinez's video about how Pedro Espada does not live in the Bronx wrote a story about how the DA took a walk on justice in his case, he would be in good shape. Only the Daily News and the online addition of the NYP report the outcome of the case. NY1 has blacklist Martinez and others from appearing on there spin news outlet and the times only writes about bloggers and journalist who are ruff up in China. A failed GM did make the front page of the DN today after attacking a reporter. At least the DN printed a story about Martinez assault trial and it soft ending for the Espada family. On the tape of the assault Padro can be heard telling Martinez that he will teach him a lesson (Martinez did the tape Espada does not live in the Bronx) I guess there is a lesson in getting to the DA and triple dealing your fellow senators in Albany, it just not the lesson we learned from our parents or in school. Espada's son gets slap for harass *** A Journalist Breaks Through City Hall's "Blue Wall of Silence" *** SEN. PEDRO ESPADA'S SON PLEADS GUILTY TO HARASSMENT CHARGE *** 'POSTIE PUNCHER' POL TO GET OFF EASY *** TRAITOR POL'S SUITE NEW DEAL Newly minted state Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada is getting dramatically larger office space along with his new title *** Mets Fire Bernazard; Minaya Claims Writer Wanted Job w/Mets A son of state Senator Pedro Espada Jr. has pleaded guilty to harassment against 76-year-old blogger Rafael Martínez Alequin at a campaign rally last September. According to Martínez Alequin, several people, including Alejandro, began shoving him and trying to grab his camera as he approached Espada. And when he begged Pedro to call off his son, he answered, "He's trying to teach you manners papa. He's trying to teach you manners." (Here's video.) Alejandro, who's the director of one of his father's controversial health clinics, agreed to a restraining order and must pay $432 for the broken camera. But Martínez Alequin wants a stiffer punishment and tells the Daily News, "I was attacked because I was asking questions. I asked [Sen. Espada] to stop [his son]. I said they were hurting me. I was traumatized and I fear for my life." In other Espada dynasty news, our new state Senate Majority Leader is getting "dramatically" larger office space! Espada's spokesman tells the Post, "We have more responsibilities so we'll have more employees and we need more space." As Martinez Alequin can tell you, Espada really needs his space.
The Huffington Post: Fluff or Journalism?
It’s no secret that our elected officials use taxpayer-funded mailings to their constituents as thinly veiled campaign literature. But now New York’s Junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has an even better source of free, shameless self-promotion in her to actually get elected to her current seat: The Huffington Post.
Every two weeks or so, Gillibrand comes out with another short, substanceless blog entry trumpeting her contributions to making the world a better place. This past week, Gillibrand managed to write a whole four (4!) self-congratulatory paragraphs informing us that she was supporting a public health care option and that she needed our help signing her petition (and giving her campaign our email addresses) to ensure health care reform passed the Senate. Wow, a petition! Now, that’s the type of bold action New Yorkers have come to expect from our un-elected Governor.
Two blog entries earlier, Gillibrand was pretending to be driving the bandwagon trailing behind Judge Sotomayor. Did you know that our Democratic Senator was going to take the courageous stand of confirming Justice Sotomayor? It’s true. I read it in The Huffington Post.
Senator Gillibrand’s bio on The Huffington Post, which she could easily cut and paste into a Match.com profile, starts by proclaiming herself “a smart, hardworking passionate public servant.” But if Gillibrand’s blog posts are any indication of the kind of work she’s been doing in the Senate, it appears as if Governor Paterson could have appointed anyone to the seat who knew enough to repeat “Whatever you say, Mr. Schumer” whenever a vote comes up.
If The Huffington Post is going to demonstrate to the New York market that it’s in the business of serious journalism it’s going to have to devote more space to insightful commentators like former Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, and a whole lot less to generic fluff pieces justifying why a one-term Congresswoman from Upstate, who spent her entire two years in the House raising money for her reelection campaign, deserves the seat our accidental Governor passed off to her, because he was too afraid a real leader like Carolyn Kennedy would upstage him *** Gillibrand switches gears on 'don't ask, don't tell'
New York's Economic Melt Down The mayor and Comptroller Bill Thompson agree that the city continues to face tough fiscal times BUS-SUBWAY JOBS BEING CUT About 360 maintenance, cleaning, painting and managerial positions will be eliminated in 2010 as part of NYC Transit's yearly cost cutting *** DC'S APPLE COP-OUT FEDS DENY 'TOO GOOD' FINEST STIMULUS $$ more money less results NY IS TOPS IN US SCHOOL SPENDING *** Homeless Families Could Face Eviction Over Rules *** Lincoln Hospital specializes in hiding fatal errors *** Error at Lincoln Hospital Emergency room leaves woman a shadow of self *** Make Up a Fake Parking Permit, Park Wherever You Want! There is Gambling at Ricks Place? You would think after all these years on the hospitals committee Duane would know the city's hospitals were a swamp of political patronage Duane Calls for Hearings on Hospital Incident Reporting
MTA Spin to counter cuts Subway's Spy Cams to See All *** Declining ridership forces MTA to cut cleaners and maintenance staff *** Weekend subway service suffers delays, with no relief in sight *** NYC So Safe It Doesn’t Merit Federal Cop Funding (NY Magazine)
On the Road to City Hall MIKE & FOE $ADLY AGREE *** MIKE COOL ON THE GRILL (NYP) *** Bloomberg Testifies in Bias Suit Brought Against His Company (NYT) *** *** Lawyer: Bloomberg was "dismissive" in deposition (AM NY) *** Is she or isn't she? Maloney delaying start of Senate bid *** Stringer Deputy Press Sec Slams "O-dumb-a," Defends Racial Profiling *** De Blasio Is Backon the ballot *** Gerson Off the Ballot *** Richman Defends Himself Against de Blasio Lawyers
Pay to Play Maybe the controller candidates we agree to this refrom A $2.2 Trillion Temptation The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed excellent new rules to end pay to play for public pension funds. The rules cannot be enacted too soon for New York State’s pensioners (NYT Editorial) STOOLIE IS 'DEAD' TO HIS DADDY GETTING GRIEF FOR BUSTING 'CORRUPT' JEWS *** LOAN OFFICER: DODD KNEW HE GOT VIP DEAL *** Politicians Accused of Meddling in Bank Rules *** New Jersey Teaching the World to Steal, in Perfect HarmonyIf there is a silver lining to the corruption scandal that rocked the Garden State last week, it’s this: the enterprise required a great deal of cooperation between an extraordinarily diverse group of depraved people (Vanity Fair)
Washington after the lobbyist money floods congress Senate Committee Drops Public Option *** Dodd’s Uneasy Dance With Drug Lobbyists *** Health Policy Now Carved Out at a More Centrist Table *** POLS WEIGH 'NIP & TAX' PLAN OP LEVY TO RAKE IN PRETTY PENNIES *** US, China have pointed questions in private *** Drinks at Obama’s on Thursday The much-anticipated meeting between Henry Louis Gates Jr. and the officer who arrested him are set for 6 p.m. on Thursday at the White House *** Obama Reaches Out to China *** U.S. Woos Syria by Easing Export Ban *** U.S., Israel Split on Iran Nuclear Effort (WSJ) *** After the Beers, Let's Start the Teaching - Jesse Jackson, Chicago Sun-Times *** Six Ways Obama Can Regain Israeli Trust - Yossi Klein Halevi, TNR *** Clinton Sets Her Own Agenda - Anne Applebaum, Slate *** Biden's Russia Blunder - Los Angeles Times *** Rules Let House Democrats Move Faster, Avoid Tough Votes - CQ Politics *** Rep. Conyers: Don't Read the Bill - P. Blumenthal, Sunlight *** Catching Up with the Clinton Crowd (Vanity Fair) *** A Beer with Obama (The New Yorker)
Health Care Our Sad Health Care Exceptionalism - Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker *** Democrats Search for Villains on Health Care - Patrick O'Connor, Politico *** Bargaining Away the Public Option - Michael Tomasky, The Guardian *** Obama's Plan Isn't the Answer - Martin Feldstein, Washington Post *** Senate Moves On Without Health Care on the Agenda - The Hill *** CBO vs. OMB Over the Cost of Reform - Peter Suderman, Hit & Run
Wall Street Ryan Grim Goldman Sachs Using Taxpayer Money To Put Financial System At Risk, Reps. Charge More empty stores coming BofA to Cut Branches thanks for the tarp funds *** Global Trade Collaspse is Over, But No Recovery in Sight - The Economist *** This Is Wall Street's Banking Crisis - Robert Wilmers, Washington Post *** The Bank That Bailed Out Itself: Lessons from CIT - John Tamny, Forbes *** Report: FDIC Bailout Will Save Banks $24 Billion (ProPublica)
NATIONAL Obama Stimulates NH With Free Bus Rides - New Hampshire Union Leader *** A Conversation on Race, Like it or Not - John McWhorter, The New Republic
International Germany Faces Terror Threat - J. Dahlkamp & H. Stark, Der Spiegel
Media Silverman Quits NBC Universal; Cable Executive Succeeds Him *** Video
Bill Maher Discusses Palin, Gates Arrest, Health Care Reform *** Viacom's Net Drops 32% *** How the Last Shot of Michael Jackson Happened (Vanity Fair)
Blog Report Only Citizen Revolt Will Fix State Senate (Your Free Press) *** City Fleeces Motorists With Bike Lane Tickets (Queens Crap) *** Anti-American Choe Runs In Queens (Queens Crap) *** Council Candidate Belsky: Parking Champion Of The Little Guy (Sheepshead Bites) *** Coney Island Rockabilly Festival 2009 In September (Bay Ridge Journal)
