Monday, October 26, 2009

Nobody Asked Me, But . . .TN Daily Pension Scandal Update

Breaking News Bloomberg blowout? 18 point lead Quinnipiac Poll *** Senator Reid Announces an ‘Opt-Out’ Public Plan *** Report: New Yorkers Leaving State Fast

Nobody Asked Me, But . . .
And TN Daily Pension Scandal Update

Non Profit Slush Fund
Another way Bloomberg's millions to charities help Bubba MIA for fellow Dem Thompson , Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, gave between $50,000 and $100,000 to the foundation *** Dicker always has been an insider with the the Cuomo family Andy warns Rudy: Psst! I'm running (Dicker NYP) *** When you need a high turn out a the polls to win, pols always bring in those who have fought and died in the service of our county Bloomberg believes in Democracy *** Never pass congress but their will get millions from Wall Street and the banks from the lobbyists U.S. Considers Reining In ‘Too Big to Fail’ Institutions *** Funny Women After media this team Obama for being a sports men's club world A First for President Obama: Female Aide Joins Round of Golf ***Future of NY Magazine With the recent death of its publisher and the lose of its target audience caused by Wall Streets melt down, it would be interesting to see if the new owner takes the magazine back to its roots. Years ago NY Magazine used to write working class against the power establishment type articles. Today they formula is to write these self important type stories focus on individuals, not change. With 100 plus million campaign and an opponent who is not running a stellar operation, whose- on Bloomberg's staff is meaningless Early Bloomer Brian Mahanna, 28, is a policy adviser to the mayor’s reelection campaign (NY Magazine) Rudy's backers want him to run to save the GOP. Rudy faces a dysfunctional party with a lot of jerks Erie County Executive Collins regrets comparing Sheldon Silver to Hitler, anti-Christ * The Indecider About New York’s governorship, as about so much in his recent political career, Rudy Giuliani can’t fully, wholeheartedly make up his mind (NY Magazine) *** Boss Vito the Judge Maker Only the Daily News Editorial Board keeps up the fight to break up the control county leaders like Vito Lopez have in picking judges. The reformers are gone and the good government groups lead by the Fund for a Modern Court never want to change anything Unfit to judge: Scofflaw Pam Fisher belongs in court, but not on the bench (DN Ed) *** Mob Street Even an Asian newspaper accuses Wall Street of acting like the mob Gloating With Wall Street's Goodfellas - Asia Times *** New York Govt Doesn't Need Change NYT Does not understand that the Obama change movement passed over New York, although using his name in some areas of the city wins votes “So much for the Obama effect,” said the chief of staff to Leroy Comrie, who fended off a challenger in the primaries *** While Thompson has been effective with his attacks on Bloomberg he has not made the case what he would do as mayor with the city's economic mess Mayor Bloomberg leading William Thompson by 18 points in latest Quinnipiac poll*** Newspapers continue to lose lots of reader THE NEW YORK TIMES -- 927,851 -- (-7.28%) * DAILY NEWS (NEW YORK) -- 544,167 -- (-13.98%) * NEW YORK POST -- 508,042 -- (-18.77%) * NEWSDAY -- 357,124 -- (-5.40%)
Daily Pension Scandal Update $$$
Tishman Bombs Stuy Town, California Tax Payers Will Pay, Will NY's? Tishman Speyser which created the biggest real estate bomb in history with its 5.4 billion purchase of Stuy Town (even Trump said don't do the deal). Tishman stands to lose very little money, $112 million by some reports because they used pension funds to take the risk. We know that almost 900 million for the project was gotten from the pension funds of California and Florida, but we don't know how much if any the New York pension funds invested with Stuy Bomb because mayor's candidate Comptroller Thompson and State Comptroller DiNapoli won't tell us. Is it part of the high risk investment the latest TV commerical? It is a good possibility that the comptrollers might not know the amount. The mortgages that financed the deal were chopped up, repacked and sold as Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities to a variety of investors. Record NYC real estate deal now on the rocks *** Capmark, a Big Commercial Lender, Files for Bankruptcy Capmark Seeks Bankruptcy Protection *** Legislative support grows for pension reform bill


New York's Economic Melt Down
Building chaos Stuy-town ruling hits rents citywide *** Laid-off school workers feeling pain of budget cuts *** Stuy Town case cited in Morris Hts. building deregulation row *** Garment exec thrives but must adjust to cope amid tough times *** Higher ed interests are protesting the latest round of proposed cuts to higher education. (AP) Medicaid cuts will mean hit to quality of care, negatively impact poor NYers, cost 1000s of jobs, DC37 rep tells Finance Comm #SenateDRP Twitter *** Senate Committee Holds Public Hearing On Budget Cuts *** Paterson Calls Special Albany Session on Deficit (Village Voice) *** Paterson's Explanation for Cuts, Not Sweeps *** Police Cite 7,500 Drivers for Cellphone Use
*** 1 out of 4 weekday and half of weekend subway trains are late shows new data
Road to City Hall Mike, Bill stump in boroughs *** Another Look at the Dinkins Administration, and Not by Giuliani *** Forged in the Same Political Caldron, Now Pursuing Their Own Paths *** Fight Another Day Bill Thompson’s (relatively) gentlemanly approach to his against-the-odds campaign is its own strategy *** Churches Fill With Candidates' Sunday Stumping (NY1) ***In Queens, Still Cultivating the Grass Roots *** Christie for NJ Governor (NYP ED) *** Bloomberg Casually Tweaks Affordable-Housing Ambitions; Thompson Offers Little Pushback *** Poll: Bloomberg at 53 percent *** Mayor Bloomberg stumps at three black churches with Newark Mayor Booker *** Mayor Bloomberg leading William Thompson by 18 points in latest Quinnipiac poll *** Hikind gets Thompson to promise a review of ticketing ***One Endorsement Thompson Is Not Trumpeting Speaker Quinn *** Thompson made some Giuliani-esque "we can't go back to where this city was" comments*** Campaign 09: Fact or Fiction (Gotham Gazette) *** E-Day Minus Eleven Poll Shows Mayor Ahead(NY Civic) *** Espada Promises the Repeal of Vacancy Decontrol and More *** Bloomberg Envisions 2013, Thompson Sees Empty Promises *** Koppell For Bloomberg *** The Mayor Who Wouldn't Leave *** Dinkins and the Bad Old Days: Bloomberg Used the Same Fear Tactic in 2001 (Robbins Voice) ***Quinn Argues Consistency, Then Backs Thompson ***Council Speaker Christine Quinn made what Frank Lombardi deemed a "hostage tape" endorsement of Bill Thompson *** Councilman Charles Barron said her endorsement was "too little, too late," and accused her of supporting the comptroller "to keep her speaker job." *** Bloomberg is taking micro-targeting to a whole new level *** The Times spots Bloomberg being ignored during the Yankee celebration *** Fox covers Yankees, ignores mayor (Newsday) *** Get ready for the Bloomberg robocalls *** Why One Democrat Thinks New York Needs a Strong GOP *** Gabe Pressman sees Bloomberg riding a “wave of big bucks but not of overwhelming enthusiasm.” *** Rant Mike Bloomberg, Mayor of Spin *** Re-elect Michael Bloomberg Crain's New York Business

Gov of La Mancha Paterson To Convene Special Budget Session *** The Seneca Indian Nation targets Democratic Sen. Craig Johnson for defeat in 2010 over cigarette taxes. (Newsday) *** A Habit to Break Gov. David Paterson unfortunately plans to use money collected for environmental programs to cover the budget deficit. Other states with the same reserve fund should hold the line (NYT Ed) *** New York may the become the first state to require companies to disclose the chemicals used for drilling natural gas. (ProPublica) *** The state sent a bad check to Oswego County *** Paterson reassured school districts they will be reimbursed for the MTA payroll tax *** The proposed cuts to higher education funding will have far-reaching effects *** The Washington Examiner advises Eliot Spitzer to "put a sock in it." *** Senate Not Eager to Return *** Paterson Attacks Those Who Buy Ink By The Barrel


Law and Order NYPD in a liar storm Rise in fibber cops *** Senate Secretary Angelo Aponte is reportedly a possible witness in the trial of former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik. (DN) *** Jim Odato writes that Sen. Hiram Monserrate’s legal bills may hit $1 million. (TU) *** The Senate is basing its ability to decide Sen. Hiram Monserrate's fate on a single line in legislative law *** Queens Democrats Turn On Monserrate *** New Trial Date Is Set for Kerik


White House Whitehouse.gov goes 'open' open-source coding, available for public use and able for people to edit *** 14 Americans Die in Afghan Helicopter Crashes *** Bombings in Iraq, Deadliest Since 2007, Raise Security Issue *** Hill's powerless play *** Energy Department Aid for Scientists on the Edge *** Meacham: Fox News Attack Makes Obama Seem More Progressive Than He Really Is *** President Obama and American Exceptionalism - Robert Heiler, RCP *** WH Should Rebut, Not Intimidate, Its Critics - Louis Menand, New Yorker *** Obama and the Policy Approach - William Schambra, National Affairs *** Cheney: Whatever Possessed Him? - Boston Globe *** Obama to Castro: Shape Up *** 2 Afghan scenarios tested in war games (Wash Post)


Congress Congressman Charlie Rangel is receiving big bucks from lobbyist “bundlers.” *** Teacher and public employee unions are concerned over Congress’ proposed “Cadillac” health insurance tax. (Newday) *** Health Care Reform Will Be Popular - Paul Krugman, New York Times *** The 'Public Plan' Delusion - Robert Samuelson, Newsweek *** A Call For a United Front on Healthcare - Rep. Raul Grijalva, The Nation *** The Ticking Time Bomb on Warming - Seth Kaplan, Boston Globe *** As Deficit Increases, Democrats Plan More Spending - Wall Street Journal *** Chuck Schumer says the public option is close *** Dems Push For Key Health Care Benefits To Start In 2010 *** Health Care Up next: The art of the deal (Wash Post) *** A winning formula for earmarks (Wash Post)


Wall Street and the Economy The Great Crash, 80 years later *** The Economic Bomb That Didn't Drop credits bipartisan support for the bailout for preventing an implosion of Wall Street *** ING to Split in Two Amid $11.3 Billion Rights Issue *** Madoff associate Jeffrey Picower found dead *** Makeover Sends Tiffany to Africa *** Fed Pick Shakes Up Bank Rules *** A Culture of Business as Usual - Albert Hunt, New York Times *** Think Before Surging - Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek *** 'Flying Imams' Settlement Carries Costs For Air Safety - USA Today *** Wiping Blood Off White Buck Shoes - Leo Gerard, Huffington Post *** Who Cares If Wall Street 'Talent' Leaves? - Colin Barr, Fortune *** Who Cares If Wall Street 'Talent' Leaves? - Colin Barr, Fortune *** How The US Blew Trillion-Dollar Trade Of The Century


International Argentina's Kirchner Targets the Press - Mary Anastasia O'Grady, WSJ *** A Resilient Baghdad on a Day of Horror - David Ignatius, Washington Post *** Benedict's Gambit - Ross Douthat, New York Times *** Iraq's Prime Minister Under Fire


National States Pressed Into New Role on Marijuana *** Why We're Failing Math and Science *** Is the State of California Finished? - John Judis, The New Republic


Media and New Tech A Leno letdown *** Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers *** Studios’ Quest for Life After DVDs *** Online Rally May Sidestep Newspapers *** Big Cellphone Makers Shifting to Android System *** Eisner’s Web Video Studio to Emerge With Backing *** An Editor Is Trading Car Service for a Bike *** Brit Hume On White House vs. Fox News: "This Is Tremendous Fodder For Us" *** Non-Stories: A Season Of False Starts For News Organizations *** Are You Ready to Subsidize Reporters? - Bill Frezza, RealClearMarkets *** “Newspaper sites are the patent-leather stilettos of the online world: they get used for special occasions, but other shoes get much more daily wear.” *** New Digital Ad Manager Sails Into The Atlantic *** New York Times, USA Today Circulation Drop, ABC Says *** Bollywood Goes Hollywood *** Scrapper Redstone back from the brink *** Media Decoder: CNN Drops to Last Place Among Cable News Networks *** All Local Dailies Except WSJ Lose Circulation; National Drop 10.6%; York, PA Record Soars! *** NBC's Richard Engel: I Was Meant To Be On Helicopter That Crashed In Afghanistan