king News: Liu and de Blasio Win N.Y. Primary Runoffs Turnout Is a Trickle in Primary Runoff * Terrorism Suspect Pleads Not Guilty *** 2009 MAYOR'S MANAGEMENT REPORT *** Senate Panel Rejects a ‘Public Option’ in Health Plan *** Companion Is Called to Testify at Monserrate Trial' *** COURT TOSSES RATHER SUIT *** Democratic Fundraiser Norman Hsu Sentenced to 24 Years *** Fund-Raiser Is Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison (NYT) Toyota Issues Massive Recall *** Bloomberg: Keep Runoffs, Dump Partisan ElectionsNobody Votes, Special Interest Win
Pay for Vote
How low voting increases slush fund extortion For the last few days the candidates have been going around promising everything but city hall's bathroom sink to special interests group in return for pulling out their members next Tuesday to vote for them. The groups being promised government pay to play include: the Democratic Machines, religious, racial and ethnic leaders, unions and lobbyists who pay for the campaigns, are already on the government tit for member items, programs and grants for themselves are becoming more empowered by the city's falling voter participation and declining media coverage of the issues and how those issues are important to the voters and their families The Real Campaign is to Suppress Challengers *** Tammany’s Ballot Control Again and Again
While the media reports low turnout expectations, where is the call for change of an election system that favors the permanent government and special interests. In 1965 when 14% of the democratic voters voted for Abe Beame in a runoffs there were calls for election reform that led to runoffs like today. Today less than 1% may vote and no media, good government or elected officials say a word. They all become the insiders in a very corrupt election system that cuts the public out for the most part on who wins elections.
Calls for a runoff were raised in 1965 after Abraham D. Beame won a four-way mayoral primary with 327,934 votes, which, with 32 percent of Democrats voting, meant that only about 14 percent of enrolled party members voted for him. He was defeated that year by John V. Lindsay, a liberal Republican congressman. "Democrats will be lucky if 150,000 people bother to vote. Polls show that the candidates are more or less evenly matched, meaning the winner may not get much more than 85,000 votes. That is ... equivalent to barely 1 percent of the city’s population *** Clyde Haberman coins a Safiresque phrase - "panjandrums of political prognostication" - while lamenting the expected low turnout *** NYT predicted turnout of 150,000 "is something every New Yorker should really be complaining about Tuesday’s Forgotten Election
The City's Falling Turnout The City's election results from a half-century ago look like misprints. 3.46 million out of the City's 3.53 million registered voters, a staggering 98%, cast ballots in the 1952 Presidential election. One year later, 93% of registered New Yorkers voted in the Mayoral election. Today, the bottom has fallen out for the City's electorate. Only 27% of the City's registered voters cast their ballots in the last mayoral election in 2005. 39% of registered voters took part in the Mayoral election of 1997. Voter turnout was less than 20% for City Council elections in 1999. NY's Falling Voter Participation
New York's Sinking Vote 1. 337,110 more New Yorkers voted in 2004 than 2008. 2. New York Ranked 42 of 50 in Voting Age Turnout 50.7% 2008. 3. In 1944 NY had 6,291,885 votes for president and 47 Electoral votes. 4. In 1944 Florida had 482,592 votes for president and 8 Electoral votes. 5. In 2008 Florida had 1,204,479 more votes for president than NY. 6. In 1944 New York had 3,423,467 more votes than California. 7. In 2008 California had 6,291,885 more votes than NY. 8. In 1944 New York cast 13.1% of the Nation's vote. 9. In 2008 New York cast 5.5% of the Nation's vote.
NY Times Democratic Machine Losing millions like every other newspaper in the Internet age, cutbacks in news coverage and sections, the Boston Globe union fight, a new headquarters which threatened before a government bailout of the mortgage company GMAC to bankrupt the paper. What are year for the "Old Gray Lady." The only piece left from 'The Kingdom and the Power" era is the blind following of many New Yorkers who still vote to candidates endorsed by the paper Endorsement Power: Times Vs. Daily News *** Smith: Who Really Flexed Muscle in Yesterday’s City Primaries? The New York Times *** The Times and Clyde Vanel (Gotham Gazette) *** Are We Losing the News that’s Fit to Print? (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) *** The Times finds a pony(NY Fiscal Watch) *** New York Times Co. Discloses Bonus, Stock Option Snafus (Editor and Publisher)
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NYP Editorial Dumps State's Economic Crisis on Gov
What About the Legislature? Mayor? City Council?
Dave's Distraction What does Paterson plan to do about New York's increasingly dire fiscal situation? A report last Friday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli cited a mind-blowing $38 billion cumulative deficit over the next four years. Paterson himself says this year's hole alone is $3 billion (NYP Editorial) *** It's the economy, governor *** New York's economic decline might be over, according to a new Fed report *** State gambling revenues are down *** Schools cannot pay this Bill: Mike Bloomberg's campaign is slapping on Democratic rival William Thompson, charging that the city comptroller's "pie-in-the-sky" education proposals will cost the Big Apple more than $6 billion over four years *** NY Consumer Confidence Trails Rest of U.S. *** Monserrate Assault Trial Resumes *** City Lags Behind in Innovation Economy (Gotham Gazette)
Permanent Government Blinders Partnership for New York City teamed up with the Citizens Budget Commission Business Tries Proactive State Budget Approach *** Cost of Skyscrapers Slashed (New York Magazine)
Ferrer's Pay to Pay Politics NY1 does not ask Ferrer about the 100,000 he made from getting pension funds from Comptroller Thompson After Introduction From Ferrer, Firm Earned $100000 From State ... When Ferrer was questioned by On the Road to City Hall and called on the president to endorse Thompson Freddy Ferrer Calls On Obama To Endorse Thompson For Mayor *** State Sen. Pedro Espada 'should be in jail,' says Dem Neil Breslin *** Ferrer wasn't thrilled by Al Gore's praise of Mayor Bloomberg, either *** The Left Goes For Critics' Jugular - Jeanne Cummings, Politico *** Democratic fundraiser Hsu sentencing today *** Schumer Rakes in Wall Street Cash (Politico) *** WATCH: Dylan Ratigan Rips Evasive Lobbyist: "All You Did Was Play Cable Dodgeball"
Road to City Hall City pols in holy war Clash over 'Kippur' campaign On the eve of today's runoff election for public advocate and city comptroller, only two candidates hit the campaign trail -- discounting concerns about offending Jewish voters on the high holy day of Yom Kippur ***Green and Yassky, but Not Opponents, Halt Campaign on Yom Kippur *** Barrett: Quizzing Blago about Bloomie's Man, Brad Tusk *** It's White by 4 votes From the Queens Campaigner:The City’s Board of Elections released the official vote tally for the hotly contested Democratic primary for Council District 28, naming incumbent Thomas White the winner by the slimmest of margins *** Tuesday’s Forgotten Election The NYT Editorial Board endorses David Yassky for comptroller and Bill de Blasio for public advocate in Tuesday’s runoff elections *** Daily News Editorial: Vote Yassky, vote Green The Daily News urges New York's Democrats to go to the polls today for the selection of the city's next controller and public advocate *** Oblivious to what he must do Gov. Paterson keeps making the case - and actually seems to believe - that his governorship has been a profile in courage *** That was some brawl between Dem Party Boss Carl Heastie and Parkchester *** Assemblyman Peter Rivera at Thursday night's judicial nominating convention at Villa Barone. *** Rich NYC mayor's foe has money trouble *** Schlein the Lawyer Making Bronx Judges -- Again (Robbins Voice ) *** Bloomberg on GOP: They've Got No Chance, Whoever They Are (WNBC)
Do As I Say Not As I do Big fat hypocrites Health Dept. has sugary sodas in its machines
Dawn of the Dead Hints of Vito Fossella comeback career plunged after a drunken-driving arrest led to revelations that he'd fathered a love child
Terror Plot NYers eyed in Zazi plot *** NY Terror Suspect to Be Arraigned
Washington Abortion Fight Complicates Debate on Health Care *** Freddy Joins Mercury - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News *** Why Medical Malpractice Is Off Limits (WSJ) *** U.S. Aims to Isolate Iran If Diplomatic Talks Fail (Washington Post) *** The Campaign is Over, Mr. President - Richard Cohen, Washington Post *** Sarkozy's Contempt for Obama - Jack Kelly, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *** Why Health Reform Will Pass - Senator Tom Harkin, Politico *** Why Hasn't Charlie Rangel Stepped Down? - Francis Wilkinson, The Week *** Barney Frank Thinks Home Buyers Are Infants - Amity Shlaes, Bloomberg *** Sarkozy Unloads on Obama's 'Virtual' Disarmament - WSJ *** Senate Finance & The Public Option - McJoan, Daily Kos *** Dorgan Tries to Nix Obama/PhRMA Deal - Teddy Patridge, Firedoglake *** Sarah Palin Is Winning (Wolff Newser) *** A new defense bill is laden with earmarks. (WashPost) *** The risks and potential rewards of President Obama’s trip to Copenhagen to boost Chicago’s Olympics odds. (AP) *** Michael Moore goes after Blue Dogs *** White House Waves Veto Pen Over Consumer Protection Agency *** Patrick Gaspard never worked for ACORN.
Wall Street and the Economy The Dow Zero Insurgency The nothing-can-be-believed chaos of the financial crisis created a golden opportunity for a blog run by a mysterious ex-hedge-funder with a dodgy past and conspiracy theories to burn *** The Next Culture War
The United States needs a revival of economic self-restraint to restore its financial values and make it a producer economy again, not a consumer economy (Brooks NYT) *** A hard number for accountants: 7% fewer jobs *** More Banks Are Trading Risky Derivatives Than Last Year *** SEC Reviews Securities Lending *** Stella D'Oro protesters lean on Goldman Sachs *** Do We Inherit Thrift or Learn It? - Adam Sternbergh, New York Magazine *** The Real Reason Capitalism Is So Crash Prone - John Cassidy, New Yorker *** Disgraced AIG Exec Returns to U.S. *** Business5 Most Overpaid CEOs *** FDIC: Failures Could Cost $100B *** US Income Gap Widens As Poor Take Hit in Recession - AP *** Consumer Groups Blast Banks’ Credit Card ‘Tricks’ - MSNBC
National City Has Perfect Go-To-Guy For Olympic Bid - Chicago Sun-Times *** Also in Chicago Video of Teen Beating Death Released *** Smithsonian Offers Buyout Plan (Wash Post)
International China Inc. Looks Homeward for Profits *** U.S.: Pakistan a Taliban Haven *** Angela Merkel, the New Maggie Thatcher - Alan Posener, The Guardian*** Iran's True Leaders - National Post *** America's Plan B for Iran
Media and New Tech Bloomberg buzz hits BusinessWeek *** Barrett: About My Quotes in the Post's Cuomo Story... *** Tina Brown to Go Back Into Book Publishing *** Condé Nast's (Fake) Letter to Employees *** Longtime editor of NJ's Star-Ledger to retire *** Washington Post Reins In Staff Twitters *** Media Lose Interest in War Caskets - Byron York, Washington Examiner *** Authorities Right to Prosecute Polanski - Los Angeles Times *** Palin's Book Title: Going Rogue *** SNL Rookie Will Keep Her Job
Blog Report Letters to the Queens Tribune in response to Halloran hit piece (Queens Crap) *** The Trib: serious journal or intolerant political rag? (Queens Crap) *** Time Warner seen mulling options for its magazines *** Red ink catches up with Condé Nast *** How not to publish a newspaper... Photoshop edition
