Monday, December 14, 2009

Pension Fund Pay to Play Hevesi Gotbaum: True News Exclusive

Breaking News: Doomsday returns? MTA unveils new budget which calls for slashing of students discounts, fewer bus routes, train lines *** Stuy Town rents rolled back under new agreement * City Council to kill plan for 2,200 Bronx jobs (Crains)

Pension Fund Pay to Play Hevesi Gotbaum
True News Exclusive


Yes, they 'kin'! Gotbaum hired Hevesi kid & pals NYP reports today in what they called their exclusive story that Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum was once so friendly with disgraced city and state Comptroller Alan Hevesi that she hired three people close to him -- including one of his kids and his top aide's daughter. What the NYP story did not include was that Gotbaum step son Joshua was a managing partner is Blue Wolf Capital Management a company founded by two of Hevesi aides when he was NYC Comptroller. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum is a trustee of New York City’s Pension Funds which awarded Blue Wolf Capital $63 million from the City’s pension funds to invest, yielding Blue Wolf $1.2 million in fees. The NYT reported on April 21, 2009 that it was under former top Thompson aide (Joshua Gotbaum's Wolf-Powers partner) that Josh Wolf-Powers’ advisement Steven Ratner owner of the private investment firm Quadrangle Group to hire the now-indicted Hank Morris as its placement agent. Ratner badly wanted to gain access to investment from the State’s pension fund and according to the Times, “Wolf-Powers told Mr. Ratner that he could not think of any investment firm that had persuaded the city’s pension fund to invest without using a placement agent.” Morris was a good friend for the new money manager company Blue Wolff to have. Morris is now under indictment awaiting trial in a multi state corruption organize crime operation designed to steal pension funds for rich investors and money managers. Steve Ratner dismissed by the White House is hiding out at his horse farm waiting to see what investigators do to him. Even the new administration in Washington is on of keeping the spoils of the pension funds "All in the Family" Joshuoa Gotbaum nominated as director of Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. *** Blue Wolf Exec to Head U.S. Pension Agency The Pension Benefit agency’s inspector general found in May that its former director, Charles E. F. Millard, had inappropriate communications with Wall Street firms.Source: Liu Restaffing Comptroller's Office More on the pension scandal from True News The Wolf at Thompson's Door * True News: Wolf at Thompson Door, Part II . Avella Opens A Cut

NY1 Dunning Down Journalism's Exclusive Why does NY1 call a report today they were handed in a press release by some Paterson flack and carried in dozens of other media outlets an exclusive? Exclusive used to be something a reporter worked on for months digging up dirt that no other media organization would have. Someone should tell NY1 that an exclusive is more than retyping a press release. Other media outlets covering NY1 exclusive NY1 Exclusive: State's Juvenile Justice System Slammed In New Report Other Media New York Finds Extreme Crisis in Youth PrisonsNew York Times * Report finds crisis at NYS youth prisons WRGB * Paterson Admin. to Judges: Stop Sending Kids to State Facilities NBC New York * Report: Serious Problems Found at Youth Prisons 1010 Wins *** Report Finds Problems Plague State-run JuvenileDetention CentersWNYC *** Task Force On Juvenile Justice Reform Seeks Answers From OCFS NewsLI *** New York Finds Extreme Crisis in Youth Prisons (NYP) *** Silver: Gov Can Manage Cash As He Sees FitAlbany's Democratic Civil War Own party con-Dems 'ineffective' Dave top Senate leader has begun boycotting Paterson's events while a senior Senate official called him "an unelected, ineffective and irrelevant governor."(Dicker NYP) *** Sic Andrew on 'em Give the state's top law enforcer, the attorney general, the power to probe Albany pols and subpoena witnesses *** Gov sends $eizin's greetings (NYP) *NY $1B short; Paterson to hold 10 percent of school aid (NYP) ** Paterson Trims Aid to Schools and Localities (NYT) *** Drastic Cuts Are Expected as M.T.A. Unveils Budget *** Gov's 'hands tied' in MTA plan to cut MetroCards to students *** The Times Union says any suit by legislators "will be fighting for its right to put its head in the sand." *** Senate Dems in discussions to give lucrative committee assignments to Republicans: source *** Gov. Paterson: Bruno-like cheats may be stopped by banning outside jobs *** Irene Liu looks at the "Watergate babies" in the state legislature and how 1975 was a lot like 2009 ***They all fell down If service cuts are to be avoided, labor costs need to be controlled, which Albany refuses to do. Period. . . Earlier this year, recall, Malcolm Smith, Carl Kruger & Co. balked at imposing the East River bridge tolls proposed by now-Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch as part of a rescue plan for the MTA's capital program (NYP Ed) *** Cindy Adams is standing by her story about Paterson saying he wanted to piss "on" the Legislature *** Siena: Paterson's Up, But Still Trails Cuomo*** MTA Proposes Severe Service Cuts *** Silver appears to support Paterson's school-aid pullback *** Paterson's Poll Numbers Inch Up (NY1) *** Skelos and Sampson Met to Discuss Republican Chairmanships
Inside City Hall Firestorm over lady 'commish' Sex, race hot issues at FDNY *** City Council to make free clergy parking a law *** How's he doin'? Great! Pearls of wisdom from Ed Koch at age 85 (DN Ed) *** Bloomberg To List Green Strides At Climate Summit *** City Council to override Bloomberg's veto to make free clergy parking a law *** Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Voted Down *** City Council to kill plan for 2,200 Bronx jobs Local politicos' and labor activists' insistence on jobs that pay $10 an hour or more torpedoes plans to turn long-empty Kingsbridge Armory into a mall. *Bloomberg and Wylde on the Kingsbridge Defeat** Mayor visits Horns Rev 2, world's largest offshore wind farm *** Bronx Democrats, Potential Challengers Back Off Espada Challenge *** Helicopter, Mercedes For Bloomberg In Copenhagen *** NY1 said Kingsbridge is the first time the Council rejected a major proposal supported by Michael Bloomberg *** Kingsbridge may be the start of something big for Ruben Diaz, Jr. *** Bloomberg Eyes Danish Offshore Wind Farm and Sees New York's Future*** Rent Reductions Set at Stuy Town, Cooper Village (WINS) *** Kingsbridge Vote About Traffic, Jobs? (Gotham Gazette) *** Taking Credit (or Blame?) for Test Scores (Gotham Gazette) *** New Health Department Ad Will Make You Never Want Another Soda (NY Magazine)

Pay to Play City Hall Logan Bus Co. set to receive $206 million contract despite admitting to bribing city officials *** Taxpayer Funded Campaign Staff for Incumbent State Legislators (Rock) *** State pols' aides leading double lives: 49 key staffers face conflict over positions


Gov of La Mancha Albany Cuomo keeps big lead over Paterson: poll *** Paterson's favorability jumped 7-points with Republicans and 6-points with independent voters, while falling 3-points with Democrats. And 65% of voters would vote for "someone else" in the 2010 election as opposed to 19% for Paterson. Siena poll. . . Paterson's job performance rating remains an anemic 23% positive compared to 76% negative. Cuomo now leads 67-23%, virtually the same as it was in July when Cuomo led 65-23%. Now 36% of voters have a favorable view of Paterson and 53% have an unfavorable view, which is a far cry from the 63-22% favorability rating he enjoyed one year ago. It is nearly identical to the 36-56% rating he had in July.”

Election 2010
EXCLUSIVE: Mukasey may challenge Gillibrand

New York Economic Melt Down
Auctions gain favor amid condo glut *** Luxury restaurant Olana files Ch. 11 *** Nonprofits reeling after the year of Madoff *** Times Sq. protest rips nip-tuck tax *** Hands off our boobs, say surgery tax protesters *** Poll workers from Election Day want payday *** Poll workers who worked Election Day in November want payday
Law and Order Times Square hawkers still hustle after shootout *** Qns. gal is bound and slain *** Development Eminent Domain in New York The Court of Appeals should reverse a decision ruled that the New York State misused eminent domain to help Columbia University assemble the land it needs (NYT Ed) *** Brooklyn dad shot dead in dispute over bathroom *** Man charged with making threats against Bloomberg, Kelly

More City News "Vintage Tea Party" Turns The Subway Into A Soiree *** Man drinks glass of 'fat' in NYC anti-soda video *** M-I-C-K-E-Y L-E-A-S-E Disney comes back to Times Square
Terrorism and New York Pakistan Bars Deportation of Detained Americans *** Interagency Rift Cited in New York Terror Case *** The enemy within: Americans must stay vigilant against homegrown Islamic terror (DN Ed) *** Accused Qaeda Detainees May Be Tried in Brooklyn

White House Obama Decries 'Fat Cat Bankers' *** Obama Gives Himself a 'Solid B-Plus' *** Create Jobs? Reduce Deficit? Obama's Political Dilemma Grows *** Obama Says Afghan Buildup Must Show Results *** U.S. Offers $85 Million to Promote Energy Efficiency *** Summers Predicts Job Growth by Spring *** WATCH President Obama To Oprah: I Give Myself A Solid B+ *** Obama: We'll Know By 2010 If Afghanistan Strategy Is Working *** WATCH The President's "60 Minutes" Interview *** Bam: If Afghan strategy doesn't work in year, I'll change it *** Obama rips White House party crashers on '60 Minutes' *** Obama tells Oprah: I deserve a B+ for my first 11 months *** Obama Slams 'Fat Cat' Bankers(WSJ) *** Europeans complain to E.J. Dionne, Jr. that Obama "seemed to promise the impossible, and because he was so eloquent, we believed him." *** Don't Blame Obama. The System is Broken - Michael Tomasky, Guardian *** Obama and the Ambiguities of History - James Carroll, Boston Globe *** A Foreign Policy Based on Moral Balance - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post *** A Losing Bet in Afghanistan - Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune *** Obama Gives Britain the Cold Shoulder - Con Coughlin, Wall Street Journa *** Obama's Economic Credibility Problem - Dallas Morning News *** Tax Cuts Might Do What Spending Hasn't - Greg Mankiw, New York Times *** Obama vs. the Banks: The Pressure Intensifies - Massimo Calabresi, TIME *** White House To Reid: Cut A Deal With Lieberman *** Top ‘Fat Cats’ Miss Meeting *** Reining in Health Costs is No Illusion - Peter Orszag, White House *** Obama Presses Banks to Boost Lending - Anna Fifield, Financial Times *** Obama Tells Bankers That Lending Can Spur Economy *** ]Pakistan Rebuffs U.S. on Taliban Crackdown *** Rahm Emanuel Personally Pressed Reid To Cut Deal With Lieberman: Sources
Congress Long-Term Care Is Latest Issue in Health Care Debate *** Disaster and Denial The Republican Party won’t face up to the reality of what happened to the U.S. economy. So it’s up to the Democrats (Krugman NYC) *** Senate Passes Spending Bill Amid Debate on Raising Debt Limit *** Lieberman Rules Out Voting for Health Bill *** McCain, Distanced From Race, Raises Senate Voice *** Senate Dems sick over Lieberman threat to oppose health bill *** Lieberman threatens to oppose health bill *** Healthy reform, but without the public option *** America's Voice Education Fund report: Lawmakers often oppose legislation to help U.S. workers *** A Savings Mirage on Health Care - Robert Samuelson, Newsweek *** Winning Formula for Health Bill - Rep. Anthony Weiner, NY Daily News *** It's Time to Kill These Job-Destroyers - Charles Lane, Washington Post *** DeMint's Back-to-Basics Plan for Republicans - Albert Hunt, Bloomberg *** Rep. Bart Gordon to Retire *** Lieberman to Filibuster Health Bill *** Campaign Cash From Wall Street Favored Representatives Who Opposed Finance Reform Bill (Open Secrets. Com) *** Which Democrats Sided With The Banks By Voting Against Regulatory Reform And Consumer Protection? *** VIDEO: Watch Lieberman Endorse Medicare Buy-In Three Months Ago *** Can Republicans 'smoke out' Webb? (Politico) *** CBC: W.H. must do more for blacks *** House GOP warns Pelosi on defense bill They say they won't vote for DOD spending bill if a hike of the debt ceiling is tacked on *** Welcome to the Lieberman Administration - Matt Yglesias, Think Progress *** Crony Capitalism: Dems in Bed With Big Business - Rep. Paul Ryan, CNBC *** Let Bipartisan Panel Tackle Deficit - Sen. Mark Udall, Denver Post *** Senate Democrats Likely to Drop Medicare Expansion *** Senate Likely to Drop Medicare Buy-In *** Senate Democrats Split On Prescription Drug Imports (NPR)


Wall Street and the Economy Citigroup Nears Deal to Return Billions in Bailout Funds *** Abu Dhabi Gives Dubai $10 Billion to Help Pay Debt *** Driving Congress For the sake of national recovery, arbitrators in Washington must wisely and quickly decide whether to close 2,000 American car dealerships (NYT Ed) *** Citigroup Nears Deal to Return Billions in Bailout Funds *** Chinese Company Buys Rights to Make Old Saab Models *** Paul A. Samuelson, Economist, Dies at 94 ***BofA beckons, but BoNY's bare *** Biz execs, at long last, fessing up their $ins *** Toyota to start selling 'affordable' plug-in hybrids 2011 *** A Global Economic Power Shift - Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek *** Job Market Worsens for Recent College Grads - Don Lee, Los Angeles Times *** Cablevision Plans to Spin Off MSG in 1Q *** Hedge-funder Rajaratnam demands lower bail *** Financial 'Reform' Preserves Too Big Banks - John Nichols, The Nation *** Pessimists Are Wrong: Jobs Are on the Way - Daniel Gross, Slate

International
Europe and Afghanistan European countries must join America, which has made disproportionate sacrifices, in what is, emphatically, a common fight in Afghanistan (NYT) *** Iran to try 3 Americans who crossed Iraq border *** Pakistani court stays deportation of American Muslims *** Abu Dhabi bails out Dubai with $10 billion *** West Decries Iran's Nuclear Offer *** Berlusconi Remains Hospitalized *** Iran's Explosive Deceit - Times of London *** Battered Berlusconi - The Economist *** More Secret Nuclear Work in Iran *** Ayatullah Khomeini Returns to Haunt Iranian Politics *** The Berlusconi Attack: Will Italy's Leader Gain Sympathy? *** A Leader Is Shot, and Guinea Again Faces ChaosEnvironment In Bolivia, Water and Ice Tell of Climate Change *** Let's Not Leap Off the Climate Cliff - Rep. Candice Miller, Detroit News *** Climate talks grind to a halt (Wash Post) *** Nations Coaxed Back Into Negotiations After Climate Talks SUSPENDED *** Arrests, rattled nerves in Copenhagen

National D.C. Vouchers on Life Support - Washington Post *** USPS Braces For Its Busiest Mailing Day Of The Year *** Supreme Court to decide if bosses can read employees' text messages in Sgt. Jeff Quon sexting caseMedia and New Tech 367 magazines shuttered in 2009 *** New York mag's owner opens Web ad agency ***Viruses That Leave Victims Red in the Facebook *** Former Escort Tied to Spitzer Now an Advice Columnist *** Paramount Pictures Finds Long-Sought Balance *** With a New Phone, Google May Challenge Apple *** As Prices Fall, Blu-ray Players Are Invited Home *** Big Risk in a One-Man Brand Like Tiger Woods *** Remodeling ABC News, Without Too Much Dust *** Glenn Beck’s Gold Deal Raising Questions at Fox *** Price of Flat-Panel TVs Rivals the Old Tube Type *** A Surprise ‘Today’ Show Trip to Kabul, With Curious Timing
*** Chuck Todd, Savannah Guthrie Launching "Daily Rundown," 9AM Show On MSNBC *** Wanda Sykes Rips Lack of Racial Diversity At Fox News *** Al Gore, The Internet And The Future Of American Politics *** Charlie Gibson Questions Whether Diane Sawyer Will Succeed As His Replacement *** Author Grants Exclusive E-Book Rights to Amazon

Blog Report Gay Rights Battle Lands On Kruger’s Doorstep (Sheepshead Bay Bites)