TrueNews: True News the Tail the Wags the Daily News

Monday, June 7, 2010

True News the Tail the Wags the Daily News

Yesterday True News
Lame Duck Paterson Runs the Government
Takes the heat for the legislature with cuts in emergency spending bills

Today's Daily News
Dave dares 'em: Paterson finds way to force gutless Legislature towards cuts (DN Ed)

Paterson plays budget chicken If state lawmakers think today's vote on slashing hundreds of millions of dollars in health-care spending from the state budget is a tough one, wait until next Monday. It'll only get worse (NYP) * “We’re not afraid; we have a big pair of balls,” said a Paterson administration source, vowing to keep upping the ante on the Legislature by putting spending cuts into budget extenders.

Labor Buys Councilmember by Paying Her Fines
Labor's artful dodgers From 2006 to 2009, the union gave $51,675 to an outfit called the Annabel Palma Legal Defense Fund -- which was apparently established to help Palma, a Bronx Democrat, fight and then pay fines stemming from previous campaign-finance violations. (NYP ED)

UFT Power Causes Pols Hypocrisy
Charter foes aid elites Boost posh Bx. prep (NYP)

NYPIRG: Lobbyists gave more than $2 million to campaigns

Math wrath over scores A controversial policy that gives students partial credit for wrong answers on state math tests came under fire from the City Council education chairman yesterday in the aftermath of an exclusive Post report.

Inside City Hall City Proceeds With Big Middle-Income Housing Project on Queens Waterfront * Aboveground 'subway' is comin' our way on East Side (DN) * E. Side rapider transit

New York Economic Meltdown City-funded child care centers in Brooklyn are slated to close by the end of the month because of budget cuts * Health insurance savings/cuts are on the budget menu in Albany today

The Old Fox Plays Hard

Timing of probe is crucial for Charlie Rangel (Politico) * Rangel refers to Wall Street bankers as "terrorists" http://politi.co/cwUcPZ * Rangel slams Bam: We're fighting Iraq war only for oil (DN) * Rangel Officially Announces He's Running Again He blames the press for blowing up his ethics scandal

Election 2010 The End for Rangel Appears Greatly Exaggerated (NYT) * Rangel Announces Re-Election Bid (WSJ) * Many in Harlem Support Rangel in a Victory Lap - NYTimes.com * 40 Years After 1st Win, NY Rep. Rangel Runs Again - wcbstv.com * Benjamin: Showdown simmering over Indy Party AG nod * Fire drill: City risks getting burned by foot-dragging in FDNY exam lawsuit (DN Ed) * The state Independence Party snubbed Bloomberg and his preferred AG candidate, Staten Island DA Dan Donovan, and has made “no promises” about an endorsement down the road * Steve Levy estimates he spent about $500,000 trying to talk state committee members into letting him onto the GOP ballot for governor * The GOP is hoping to take back the state Senate majority, but the departure of four Republican lawmakers won't make it any easier *Cuomo: Blame greedy Wall Street, not me, for subprime crisis * Trial Lawyer Aims to Be Top State Prosecutor

Who Protecting the Taxi Drives
Seems the TLC Regulated Taxis the Same Way the Feds Regulated BP's Oil Well TLC's 'fine' mess The Taxi & Limousine Commission has collected only half the fines it handed out over the last six years (NYP)

Domestic Workers’ Rights New York State has the chance to lead the nation in extending basic workplace protections to nannies, housekeepers and caregivers for the elderly. (NYT ED)

The Rat is A New Yorker, Bring Him Back
Unions Drown Out the Rat Remember the inflatable rodent used to taunt companies using non-union labor? Well, the rat is finished for Local 2870. The new picket tool: blowing whistles for two hours straight. (WSJ) * But politicos from both sides of the aisle are increasingly turning on labor unions, says... POLITICO.

Hey Koch No Change Without Throwing the Bums Out
What is the goal to change the incumbents script? The former mayor is leading an insider’s insurrection against Albany’s corruption. But no throwing the bums out. Ex-Mayor Ed Koch referred to three Senate Democrats as “rats” and “slobs.”

NYT Seasoned Lobbyist Dodged A Big Bullet
Micah Lasher while working for the Mark Green campaign designed a flyer of the racist NY Post cartoon of candidate Freddie Ferrer kissing Rev. Sharpton ass that was distributed to the white middle class areas of Brooklyn, right before the runoff primary between Lasher candidate Mark Green and Ferrer. There was talk of indictments during the investigation since the flyer was produced with CFB city money, but it was covered up. Bloomberg’s Man in Albany Is Young but Seasoned

Albany's Double Decker Investigation
Now Both the Fail Last Bidding Process and the Bidding Process are Under Investigation Investors tied to one of the latest Aqueduct racino bidders are being investigated

Thoughts of Central Park Jogger
Woman pulled into Central Park and sexually assaulted * Everyones minds go right to Central Park jogger Trisha Meili Law and Order Woman dragged into Central Park and raped * Untangling a Ponzi Scheme With a Hollywood Twist (NYT) * Smash-and-Grab Suspects Nabbed (WSJ) * Sex attack in Central Park (NYP) *Druglord 'gangster' fashion victim (NYP)

An American Paint Ball Terrorist
N.J. terror wannabes trained at paintball ranges, feds say
Terrorism NY Bloodlust of NJ 'jihadists' (NYP) * Two Arrested at Kennedy Airport on Terror Charges (NYT) * Two N.J. Men Charged in Terror Probe (WSJ) * New Jersey suspects turned to terror as alienated teens (DN) * Somali terror group eyes adding Americans to ranks * Chicago man busted after saying he had bomb on plane (DN) * Officer who busted terrorists is part of secret weapon * Brave cop nailed 'em (NYP) * Suspects hot for preacher ( NYP) * More than 1,000 people turned out to protest a proposed mosque near Ground Zero * Prosecutors Make Their Case for Terror Sentence

Israel We'll never apologize for raid: Israel's U.S. ambassador * Helen Thomas Speech Canceled Amid Outrage Over Israel Comment (WCBS) * Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's op-ed in the Daily News about the Gaza flotilla situation says the "activists wanted violence." Update Helen Thomas Retires in Wake of Israel Remarks * Helen Thomas, veteran White House journalist, retires after controversial Israel comment (DN)

Democrats Skip Town Halls to Avoid Voter Rage (NYT)

Wall Street Countrywide Pays $108 Million to Settle Fees Complaint * Morgan Stanley To Slash 1,200 Jobs After Doubling Chairman's Salary

Media and New Tech Wired iPad Edition On Pace to Beat Newsstand Sales This Month * New York Times Blogs Are Never Personal Diaries, Says Puppy Diarist Jill Abramson * Don't Call Them Journalists! Some 40,000 Freelance "Examiners" Cranking out Local News for Examiner.com * JUMPING SHIP: Newsweek Vet Joining NBC News

Why Donate to True News Keep Real News Alive. Put simply, True News -- and the truth – cannot do more and could even end without financial help from the people who want to hold the government accountable for their actions. As you know True News, without any support, has fought to keep the real NYC’s investigative and analysis reporting era of great journalism alive. True News is a living memorial to publisher John Peter Zenger who was jailed in 1733 by the King for reporting to New Yorkers what was going on in their city. It is also in the tradition of the Ben Bradlee generation that believes that all reporters would not be doing their job if they did not follow the story until they got to the truth. Today’s reporters copy press releases from elected officials and lobbyists hired by the special interests who want to control the message. The lost circulation of newspapers has created a generation of young reporters who not only rely on elected officials and lobbyists for stories, but don’t even Google to find the historical context or, more importantly, the truth behind the stories they write. In this era of sell-out journalism, the public has become disconnected, powerless and trapped by a permanent government that has turned against them. The media blames an apathetic public for not voting even after democratic consultants act like an Orwellian 'Big Bother' threatening them to vote or be looked into. True News reports that the reason for the decreasing turn-out is the public no longer feel their votes matter. If you value hard hitting Investigative Journalism, don't let True News go the way of the Passenger Pigeon. The Newfield, Barrett, Kempton, Hammel of yesteryear are no more. Local TV news limits itself to good looking women and men reading about breaking fires and crimes, with few exceptions. What's left that isn't tabloid is a wasteland of superficial news, driven by political and corporate PR machines, sowing the fertile seeds of corruption public and private hand in glove. Despite the soft news we see, standard bearers play a significant albeit vestigial role. Newspapers constantly pick up stories from True News (without crediting us of course) avoiding the costs to investigate themselves. Without True News, the New York Press and this blog's over one and half million readers will be utterly lost in the wilderness. Only True News is explaining: How Blacks, the Poor and the Middle Class are Being Pushed out of Brooklyn Because of Albany's Tax Breaks for Luxury Developers and Apartments Gives Details How Lobbyists and Developers Run A Secret Shadow Government that Also Controls Elections With Big Money and Their Control Over the Media Investigates How Political Party Bosses Have Been Replaced By Lobbyists' Privatization of the Tammany Hall Machine Reports How the WFP and the Elected Officials Who Are Supported By Them Have Abused and Aggressively Broken Campaign Finance Laws. True news is not funded by special interests like the other news blogs. True News has been self-funded all these years. True News does not make nice with sitting politicians, developers, lobbyists to fund it or to provide its young clueless reporters with story ideas. True News wants nothing more than to scratch out a modest living in its aim to investigate, connect the dots, and get to the truth of every newsworthy story. To carry on in this mission, True News needs funding from people like you -- People Who Want Better Journalism in order to learn what is really going on in their government and fight the corrupt politicians. It's been written about True News Those of you who have an involvement in the dangerous game of politics, it may be of interest to know who’s telling the truth these days, and, whether the articles we read are real or imagined disinformation, emanating directly out of a governmental PR department. No genuine journalist would ever rely on such a source for the truth. As publisher of the SoHo Journal, through personal experience, take it from me that it is possible to become a political target for simply writing about the truth. And the mainstream media and writers eat their own for sales— as well as take orders from their masters— corporate, financial and political masters. Always pay attention to the agenda. Read between the lines. That is the basis of real reporting and political comprehension. Not the rehashing of a press release. OWS had a handle on this reality as well. Pay attention to the current daily blog written by Gary Tilzer. His True News is one of the few remaining sources for political investigative reporting. His fearless reporting of the truth in political circles is worth noting. Contributors names are confidential

Other Views

On October 15, 1958, veteran broadcaster Edward R. Murrow delivered his famous "wires and lights in a box" speech (VIDEO) The Last Lion of Tammany HOW JIMMY McMANUS, MANHATTAN’S LAST GREAT TAMMANY DISTRICT LEADER, HELPED TO REVIVE HELL’S KITCHEN AND THE THEATER DISTRICT c By James S. Kaplan f On January 13, 2011, the law firm of Proskauer Rose moved into 11 Times Square, which is located on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. In moving west to the final building of the City’s Times Square redevelopment, the Proskauer firm joined such other major law firms as Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Covington & Burling, Roberts & Holland, and the advertising firm of Ogilvy & Mather. That such major professional firms, along with a number of newly constructed luxury apartment buildings on 42nd Street from ninth to eleventh avenue and trendy restaurants and off Broadway theaters would be located west of 8th Avenue in midtown would have been almost inconceivable fifty years ago. Tammany Last Stand Continued

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In the beginning of the last century, Lincoln Steffens and Jacob Riis were the muck rakers. Steffens tried to rouse the public to take action against the misdeeds of government and corporate leaders. Jacob Riis, a Danish immigrant, was the pioneer of photo journalism. He took his camera into the miserable tenement slums of the city. Depicting the plight of the poor, he wrote a book called “How the Other Half Lives.”

"Through the years of the 20th century even the most mercenary of newspaper owners were, above all, conscious of their duty to inform the public and they backed their reporters to the hilt. It was not just a matter of right or wrong---but common sense. The ethics of good journalism in this era, alas, seems to have been forgotten." Gabe Pressman

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