Library, Senior and Education Cuts: Firehouses Saved Until Budget Modifications?

Breaking News Gov Rejects ‘Albany Time,’ Moves Forward With Extenders


Library, Senior and Education Cuts
Firehouses Saved Until Budget Modifications?

The council show what a hot button issues the closing of firehouses have become when they agreed to not close 20 fire companies which they will cut almost every other service. The question will be how real of a budget the city can make when the state could cut additional billions from the city after they agree to a fine budget. Already the city faces a 600 million shortfall of Medicaid costs because it is unclear if the feds will fund this money the city expects. Look for additional budget cuts all year long. The budget that passes is meaningless if the money the city expects does not roll in. Mayor Bloomberg confessed he’s “worried” the state still does not have a budget, although the legislative leaders reportedly negotiated late into the night.

$63B city budget deal spares FDNY (NYP) * City Council and Mayor Reach Accord on a Budget (NYT) * Mayor, Council in Budget Deal (WSJ) * NYC leaders save 20 endangered firehouses (DN) * City Budget Deal Eliminates Firehouse, Pool Closures (NY1)

Cuts We Know About
-Six-day library service will be slashed to five The restoration is dependent on 60 fire trucks going from six to five firefighters and the removal of fire alarm boxes, which requires approval from the council and firefighter unions.
-Between five and 10 senior centers will close (NYP) between 30 and 40 senior centers will be closed and the number of teachers in the city will be reduced via attrition by more than 2,000 (WSJ)
-Elimination of some senior day care programs

-City agencies still have to cope with $1 billion in other service reductions
-Hundreds of city workers will still face layoffs
-Thousands of city positions could be eliminated through attrition

Spending would increase by $3.6 billion, or about 6 percent, compared with the budget approved a year ago, because of rising pension and health care costs. The budget restores Priority 7 daycare vouchers – a big issue for the Orthodox Jewish community. * Espada, Diaz Sr. Stress Bloomberg On Senior Centers

What About the Albany Budget?
Don't go wobbly, Dave Facing intense pressure to cave in to Albany's business-as-usual fiscal tricks -- tax hikes, borrowing and a wide range of accounting shenanigans.(NYP Ed) * Study: N.Y. Soda Tax Would Curb Obesity, Diabetes (WSJ) * New law will bug landlords (NYP) * Legislator Pay Withheld for Late Budget Thus Far: $4.2 Million

Is Redistricting On The Legislature’s Radar?

Paterson Follows Ravitch Out of the Room The two leaders – Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson – confirmed in the afternoon that they had been meet privately without the governor. Two Men in A Room So far, the budget talks have been taking place in secret.

Election 2010 “State records showed Thursday that the governor’s race is a millionaires’ club filled with blue chip stocks,” reports AP’s Mike Gormley. * Rick Lazio earned at least $1.85 million in 2009, according to his disclosure filing with the Public Integrity Commission. “You should expect to see forthcoming announcements in the broadest possible term…he will support those candidates he believes have been supportive of New York,” Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson said of Bloomberg’s potential involvement in the upcoming elections. * Hiram Monserrate And Petitioners Harrassed Francisco Moya And Dad Outside Church * Madam Governor-In-Waiting


Will the Reforms Passed by Congress kill NY Golden Goose?
New York counts on all the seedy dealing that caused the 2008 economic meltdown for its jobs and tax revenue. U.S. Lawmakers Agree on New Finance Rules After more than 20 hours of continuous wrangling, Congressional Democrats and White House officials reached agreement on the final shape of legislation that would transform financial regulation, avoiding defections among New York lawmakers that had threatened to upend the bill. (WSJ) * House and Senate in Deal on Financial System Reform (NYT) * Rolling Back a Law Born of Enron The Supreme Court gave a victory to the mastermind of the Enron fraud and may throw out a corporate reform law inspired by it. (NYT) * Who Approved These Ads? The House has voted for disclosure requirements from deep-pocket spenders on campaign ads. The Senate must act in time for the November elections. (NYT)

Jobless Left to Rot
Congress has unlimited funds for the bailout of AIG and Wall Street and nothing for the jobless? Jobless Bill Dies Amid Deficit Fears (WSJ) * Jobs Bill Fails In Senate: Democrats Say Thursday's Doomed Vote Was The Last Chance

Marty Crap
At the mayor’s request, the NYC Council is fast-tracking a bill that will enable Brooklyn BP Marty Markowitz’s longtime Coney Island concert series to continue this summer.

Supreme Court Makes Pay to Play Legal ?
A dishonest law The Supreme Court may well have handed former state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno -- convicted on federal corruption charges and sentenced to two years behind bars -- a potential "stay out of jail free" card. Along with former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, ex-Govs. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois and Don Siegelman of Alabama and one-time press lord Conrad Black.(NYP Ed) * Conviction in Bruno Case Is in Doubt After Ruling (NYT) * Balance of Prosecutorial Power The Supreme Court has narrowed a federal law used by prosecutors in corruption cases. Any benefit the ruling gives to miscreants should inspire stronger new laws. * Supreme Court ruling could overturn Bruno, other cases (DN)

This pic depicts the tzar and tzarina as Rasputin's Puppets showing their disapproval at his unwarranted influence

Pay to Play Kruger: Fed Eye Pol
Investigation of Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger revealed after FBI busts lawyer Kruger and a staff member traded official favors for campaign contributions. The two-year probe surfaced in public Thursday when the FBI charged Brooklyn lawyer Michael Levitis with lying to agents about his dealings with Kruger's staffer. Levitis is also the owner of Rasputin's, a popular supper club in the Russian community of Brighton Beach. In court papers, prosecutors say the informant paid Levitis $3,000 - $1,000 for Levitis and $2,000 to be given to an unidentified staffer in Kruger's office. The transaction was captured on video. Records show Levitis donated $2,700 to Kruger in 2008. His restaurant, which boasts lavish facilities and elaborate displays for food, also gave Kruger $3,800 in in-kind contributions toward two fund-raisers in 2006 and 2008. (DN) Levitis is one of Kruger's many generous donors. He cut $7,300 in campaign checks to the senator in 2008, including $3,800 in in-kind contributions for food and catering, records show. Lichtman said Levitis has previously hosted fund-raisers for the senator. Kruger reported having $2.1 million in his campaign account as of January, giving him one of the largest political war chests in the state.Pol eyed in bribe scandal * An ex-Suffolk County legislator was sentenced to five years probation for lying about where he lived when he was in office. * Pay to Play Seabrook Bronx Councilman "Cash And Carry Larry" Seabrook In Trouble Again

Flack Spin Crap Senate Democratic majority spokesman Austin Shafran, who said Kruger was "a victim of an influence-peddling scam perpetrated by [Levitis]. Kruget who was on trial before of pay to play in connection with a community board payoff 25 years ago and has over two million in his campaign account is a victim?

New York Economic Meltdown * Rent Guidelines Board Approves Rent Hikes * Panel Backs Smaller Rent Increases Than Usual NYT Rose Color Glass (NYT) * Rent Guidelines Board Approves Increase (WSJ) * Private Line Seeks Profit in MTA Cuts (WSJ)

Education Success and Scrutiny at Hebrew Charter School (NYT) * City Near Plan to Help Keep Boys in School (WSJ) * Bonus Plan Set For Teacher (WSJ) * Schools Schedule Stirs Parental Ire (WSJ) Staffers at JFK HS in Bronx swipe $90G - even bake sale money! (DN) * Fun-time for Brooklyn school staff investigated

Terrorism NY Former Prosecutor to Lead New York’s Counterterrorism Effort (NYT) *NYPD Fills Anti-Terrorism Post (WSJ) *Woman named to run FBI’s New York division (NYP)

Law and Order Jamaican gang leader arrives to face NY charges (NYP) * Jamaican to Face Charges in New York (NYT) * Police Officer Says Beating of a Fallen Suspect Was Proper (NYT) * Officers Return Fire, Killing Man in the Bronx (NYT) * VIDEO: Shameless mugger robs 85-year-old woman (DN) * Alternate juror booted after showing up with 'f---' on shirt (DN) * Half-naked man swipes van, hits two young girls Law and Order Sports Arrest warrant issued for Knick Eddy Curry: report (NYP) * Arrest warrant issued for troubled Knick Eddy Curry * Johan Santana admitted he had 'consensual sex' with alleged sex assault victim (NYP) * Idea that Santana's sex scandal is behind him is laughable (DN)

Homeless Organization Is Shut Down

There Used to Be Journalist in New York
Legendary journalist Pete Hamill to graduate high school finally after Regis grants degree Media and New Tech New Yorkers sweat it out for new iPhone (NYP) * Early Adopters Endure Heat, Long Waits, for iPhone 4 (WSJ) * Jerry Springer thinks the Spitzer show is a great idea; Ashley Dupre says she won’t be tuning in. * Gerry Marzorati to Step Down as Editor of The New York Times Magazine * A Tumblr for The New York Times, But How Will She Use It? * This Could Be the Last Journalist—Pity the Business (Newser Wolff)

General's After Shock Obama hedges on July 2011 drawdown date for Afghanistan, giving leeway to Gen. Petraeus (DN)