Breaking News: Sen. Snowe Indicates She Will Vote for Bill (Wash Post) * Russia Dismisses Iran Sanctions * Senate Panel Clears Health Bill With One G.O.P. Vote * Bloomberg Wins Bidding For BusinessWeek *** Sales of Manhattan buildings plunge 82% Will the Debate Interrupt the Campaign Spin?
Gone are the days when candidates like Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch (1977) would debate over 30 times in different media outlets all over town and the media would be forced to cover unscripted exchanges that would offer the public real choices to problems and policies that the mayor would follow. Today it is accepted that citywide candidates only have to debate one or two times. The limited debate fits into the culture of scripted spin campaigns, passionless, disconnected from the issues that matter to the public, waged through expensive television ads, glossy mailings and all-but-unnoticed speeches. Who Pick These Guys? It is very strange that in a town full of reporters one seem to always be the moderator in the debate. Dominic Carter in past debates has not shown the skills to play that role in a city of dozens of reporters who cover politics. It would be very interesting to find out who picks the moderators and reporters who ask questions for these debates.
The mayor's campaign team is ahead who wanted to downplay the debate keep things quite might be forced to attack if Thompson attacks. Some of Bloomberg friends are helping out. NYP does not talk about the debate. Post's headline about Madoff' fight in jail and the Yankees playoffs. They have a story about parking tickets without connecting it to man who is responsible for the policy Canarsiens seeing double over double-parking tix It will be Thompson's job in the debate to tie it to Bloomberg's policy. The NYP also have a positive story about the mayor's education policy City catching up to state schools. The NYT stories about the debate is long on style and short on substance Mayoral Foes Look to Hone Debate Skills They do not mention issues the public cares about: the mayor role in term limits, over-development or Thompson role in collecting campaign contributions from people who do pension business with his comptroller office, or how he did no uncover million of dollars in fake non profits connected with the council slush fund *** It does mention open ended questions like what should be done to lower the city debt and unemployment and if they favor the eliminating the office of Borough President and Public Advocate What the Moderators Should Ask The mayor has already started to go after the PA Mike advocates dumping public advocate. Who needs de Blasio to have to cut Bill into deals or face media attacks against him for 4 years. The Daily News story about the debate is all about the candidates spin on taxes Mayor Bloomberg, William Thompson trade jabs on eve of first mayoral debate The DN also has an attack on the comptroller Bloomberg rips Thompson for taking cash from pension middlemen
*** The DN also has questions that will run this debate into real good brass-knuckled debate - Term limits, education, the economy, pension fund management Issues for mayoral debate between Mayor Bloomberg and William Thompson
Today's Cover Up of the Pension Scandal
What the Daily News Reported Today
"A July letter from the Police Pension Fund obtained by the Daily News shows Bloomberg's office defending the use of placement agents, some of whom have been implicated in an Albany pension scandal that has led to indictments and guilty pleas."
What the Daily News Did Not Say
Who were the placement agent the mayor's letter defended? Was it Steve Rattner the mayor's personal financial advisor? Who hire the the indicted Hank Morris and kick back pension funds to him for getting pension business? When will the Media report that Morris and Rattner did business with both the state and city's comptrollers office? In an example of corrupt triangulation with a different Morris according to the NYT Thompson's comptroller manager told Rattner to hire Hank Morris to get pension action (and that action when across at least 4 states)
Triangulation by Pols and Unions Cuts the Public Out
Another Example of triangulation where the public is stuck in the middle having no power to stop pols from using the unions to get reelected and stop the unions from gaining power to control who gets elected. Maura Keaney, an aide to Council Speaker Christine Quinn now on loan to Bloomberg's campaign, may have violated the city's conflicts of interest law by raising money for the speaker from labor unions in connection with them being left out of pay-to-play reform.
A Bloomberg Dive?
Fool me twice shame on me In the 2001 Mayoral election Mike Bloomberg ran on a "no new taxes" platform and criticized Democratic challenger Mark Green for refusing to rule out a tax increase, but during his first year in office, Bloomberg proposed a 25 percent increase in the property tax. The City Council approved an increase of 18.5 percent. This was the largest property tax increase in city history. Yesterday Mayor Bloomberg was at it again. Today's Daily News
On the Road to City Hall After Generations in Spotlight, Harlem Slips as Center of Black Politics *** No working families party: Organized labor and disorganized pols failed Stella D'Oro (DN Ed) *** Thompson campaign manager Eddy Castell expects the debate to be "the great equalizer in this race." *** David Chen and Michael Barbaro review past mayoral debates and find Bloomberg is an eye-roller while Thompson is a finger-pointer *** Neither Thompson nor Bloomberg has proposed any significant expansion of the city's response to the mortgage crisis *** Gotham Gazette considers Bloomberg's civil rights record*** Car fleet soaring with 'green' Mike *** Call to Abolish Public Advocate's Office Stirs Unease *** Mayor's attack web site Hiding In Plain Sight *** Margaret Chin's Anodyne Vision (Council Watch) *** Seven Others Striving to Win the Mayor's Job *** MEET THE CHALLENGER INTERVIEW WITH MAYORAL CANDIDATE THOMPSON *** An Anonymous Thompson Site (Gotham Gazette)
Pay to Play Freddy Ferrer tells *** After Introduction From Ferrer, Firm Earned $100000 From State .. It pays to break the law in New York City's turn to pla$ter Liu The Sanitation Department today plans to visit the campaign office of John Liu, the Democratic nominee for comptroller, to personally deliver hundreds of summonses for plastering the city with illegal posters *** Shirking on the railroad: Quarter-billion-dollar LIRR disability scam rolls on (DN Ed) *** Lawmakers sue MTA for Ratner's 'sweetheart' arena deal*** Espada Stands By His Man »
New York's Budget Melt Down Tax-revenue free fall State revenues tumbled $516 million to $6.16 billion, or 7.7 percent lower than in September 2008. hat's down $500 million from the doom-and-gloom forecast issued by Paterson in July *** The Post thinks Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is best positioned to lead the budget-cutting push *** Who'll save New York? Paterson, not surprisingly, has decided to cower in a corner as New York barrels toward a California-style fiscal meltdown. Will anyone in Albany grab the wheel? (NYP Ed) *** NY's 'private' affair State close to leasing out major public-works deals to investors could result in new costs ***Deal saves 25,000 jobs deal between the city's builders and labor unions *** Luring Artists to Lend Life to Empty Storefronts ***How to Flunk Test-Giving If New York State and New York City do not strengthen their G.E.D. programs, a growing number of residents will become a permanent burden to their fellow taxpayers *** Can the City Keep Up with the Foreclosure Crisis? (City Limits)
Is this the Beginning of the Cost of Dysfunctional Government in New York? Jersey City Lures 1,600 Jobs From Lower Manhattan *** Another Paterson Admin Departure
Public Deception Again
Why is So Called Reformer Krueger Meeting Behind Closed Doors to come up with more gimmicks and hidden taxes (New MTA Tax) to balance the budget on paper. This is the 2nd or third fix to the state budget. State Senator Liz Krueger, the vice chair of the Senate's finance committee, said that the staffs of each legislative conference will meet with staffers from the Budget Division in a closed-door meeting tomorrow. Albany's gutless wonders: Gov. David Paterson and legislators fear the tough budget choices *** Governors First! . . . not exactly clear who is going to put forward budget cutting proposals first.
Law and Order Officials Condemn Beating of Gay Man *** The state Court of Appeals will hear a case related to property condemnation an the development at Atlantic Yards. (AP) *** Closing arguments in Sen. Hiram Monserrate's assault trial are today *** Gitmo Detainees to Stand Trial in N.Y.? *** City preps fight for Tavern on the Green name
White House Hill: I'm done running *** Views on Afghanistan Buildup Bring Clinton and Gates Together in an Alliance *** Hillary Clinton seeks Russian cooperation on Iranian nukes *** Obama Needs to Punch Harder - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times *** Rage at Wall Street & Washington - Naftali Bendavid, Wall Street Journal *** Still Waiting on Gay Rights, Mr. President - San Francisco Chronicle *** Russia Resists U.S. on Iran Sanctions *** Support Troops Swell Force in Afghanistan (Wash Post) *** Nobel Jury Defends Obama Pick *** Officials Flex Regulatory Muscles A handful of Obama appointees quietly exercise their power over the trappings of daily life Obama Prepares to Hit the Trail (Roll Call)
Health Care Congress Is Split on Effort to Tax Costly Health Plans *** The Early Word: The Health Care Vote *** Democrats Call Insurance Industry Report Flawed *** Raise Taxes to Cover Health Care Plan - Aaron & Sawhill, Washington Post *** Congress is split over a proposal to tax “Cadillac” health insurance plans. (NYT) *** What You Don't Know About The Senate Finance Bill
*** Senate Finance Committee votes to pass health care reform legislation. Capitol Hill Correspondent Kara Rowland reports
Congress The Week Ahead in Congress *** Charlie Rangel has let us all down with his fiscal shenanigan*** emocrats Need to Govern Now, Attack Later - Brent Budowsky, The Hill *** Why Do Conservatives Hate America So? - Eugene Robinson, Wash Post *** How to Beat Gridlock on Climate Change - Bill McKibben, Mother Jones *** Pelosi, Dems Falling Short on Ethics Pledge - Miami Herald *** The Senate's Patriot High Wire Act - Washington Post *** Progressives in Congress are pushing for some kind of sanction against Rep. Charlie Rangel. (Politico) *** Dem leaders brush off the left *** House race to heat up in S.D. *** Campaign finance laws face a reset (Politico) *** Bipartisan backing for Iran sanctions
Pay to Play Rep. Buyer-Linked Foundation Draws Attention - Journal and Courier
Wall Street and the Economy Bernie's bruising battle -- over stocks ***BofA's Board Blinks In its high-stakes staring contest with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Bank of America's board of directors have blinked *** Disney’s Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores *** Credit Tightens for Small Businesses *** In New Campaigns, Spots Take On a Rosier Hue *** Tax Evaders Face Choice: Pay or Pray *** STEVE WYNN: 'Gov't never increased standard of living of one single human being in civilization's history'... *** Supreme Court to Hear Enron Appeal *** Bank of America Hands Over Docs ***Regulators Target Anonymous, High-Speed Stock Trades - Wall Steet Journal ($) *** The Man Behind 2009’s Biggest Bank Bust - Fortune *** Bank of America Scrambles to Modify Loans - Washington Post *** Cost Cuts Lift Profits *** But Hinder Economy *** Lazard stock skips a beat over Wasserstein's health ***
International Amid Missile Tests, North Korea Agrees to Talks *** Russia Gas Pipeline Heightens East Europe’s Fears *** Editorial Dispute Threatens a Chinese Magazine *** Get Nasty in Afghanistan or Go Home - Michael Scheuer, Foreign Policy *** Afghanistan and the 'Critical Juncture' Myth - A.J. Rossmiller, TNR *** U.S., Russia must lead on arms control *** Bank of America Scrambles to Modify Loans - Washington Post
Media and New Tech Epix channel hits screens *** Bloomberg LP is likely to emerge as the buyer for BusinessWeek, but the situation is still fluid *** ComedyWATCH: Daily Show Destroys CNN For Fact-Checking SNL Instead Of Their Guests*** Bloggers Furious At White House For Anonymous Ridicule *** Anka Gets Half of Jackson's Single *** Twitter and Facebook, growth levels out for both *** Rupert Murdoch: MySpace may now be worth "next to nothing." [HuffPo] *** The war between the White House and Fox News rages on. [NYDN, ABC] *** The Atlantic has determined that NBC CEO Jeff Zucker and New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger are "Brave Thinkers," for some reason. [NYO] *** More on the sale of BusinessWeek: "Knowledgeable sources" say Bloomberg is paying $2-$5 million in cash for the mag. And another source reports the mag will be changing its name to Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Naturally. [BW, NYT]
