Friday, December 17, 2010

$80 Million "City Time" Thief Was Exposed on A CNN IReport Two Years Ago; Bloomberg's Cracks; State Protects Espada for 6 Years

CNN iReports are Put Together By Citizen Journalist

New Yorker 23 the reporter fingered three of the six people indicted yesterday, two years ago

Waste/abuse at the City of New York..an insider story

*** Submitted Two Years Ago January 31, 2010

City Time: A TOTAL waste of taxpayers money !!!

The THREE culprits behind this scheme are :

1. Senior consultant manager, Spherion Corp. Mark Mazer - the most crooked person on the team. 50 years old. Bill rate: $175/hr Indicted

2. Senior Manager, Spherion Corp.: Scott Berger A sheep who listens ONLY to Mark Mazer and does not rock the boat. Is building his house in Florida at taxpayers expense. 60 years old. Bill rate: $175/hr Indicted

3. Senior software developer manager, SAIC: nickname: "jellybean". 55 years old. Bill rate: $175/hr Indicted

Press Failure: Another Example How Old Media Owned by Corporations Has Abandoned Its Investigator Role

'Time bandit' beat to bank Payroll-scam probers get to 850G first * Director of City Agency at Center of Fraud Case Is Suspended (NYT) * Payroll Chief Is Suspended (WSJ) * City exec in charge of CityTime project is suspended (DN) * CityTime mastermind had 1999 arrest for larceny (DN) * City contracts still white man's world, Liu charges (DN) * Head Of City Payroll Office Suspended (NY1)

The curse of a third term, perhaps

Alleged payroll fraud slipped through cracks: Bloomberg (NYP) *Bloomberg News Announces Editorials Reflecting Founder's Beliefs, as CityTime Scandal Blossoms

NYP Says It Is Mike Mess

Prosecutors have charged four consul tants with ripping off $80 million from a program to develop an electronic-timesheet system for municipal employees. Yet still on the loose is the guy responsible for a possible loss on the project of nearly 10 times that sum. This would be Mayor Mike. CityTime -- an automated time-tracking system for city employees, started just before Mike took office -- was supposed to cost $63 million. Its current price tag? A staggering $722 mil lion. It's Mike's mess (NYP) * Mayor Bloomberg: Nobody Understood Complexity Of CityTime* Mayor Mike Bloomberg says 80 mill theft slipped thru cracks? SAIC guy fingered ireport 02/09

Citisource Vs City Time

CityTime ranks as one of the city’s biggest political scandals but falls short of those that plagued Mayor Koch during his third term, according to Baruch College political science professor Doug Muzzio, reports our Kate Lucadamo: How Bad IS The CityTime Scandal?

Because of His Political Power State Ignored/Protects Espada for 6 Years

State Ignored Call to Probe Espada Clinics Nearly six years before federal prosecutors accused outgoing Sen. Espada of embezzling from his empire of Medicaid clinics, a top state health official tried in vain to persuade regulators to crack down on Mr. Espada's not-for-profit center. (WSJ) More from the Three Amigos * Monserrate's girlfriend suing city for whopping $35M
* State Health Bigs Gave Pedro Espada a Five-Year Pass to Keep Buying Subsidized Sushi(Robbins, Voice)

Winds of War?

No Bums Invited

Low-key Cuomo (NYP) * Andy already suffering from gas pains "hydrofracking" (NYP) * Cuomo’s Inauguration Expected to Be Low Key (NYT) * Cuomo set for small, politician-free inauguration (DN)

Most of the 200 people expected at the Cuomo-Duffy inauguration will be friends and family members. Not elected officials or lobbyists. It’s unclear if Gov. David Paterson or former Gov. Eliot Spitzer will attend. *
Capping Taxes: “Cuomo’s cap would be much more stringent [than New Jersey's], leading to questions about whether he would have to accept additional exemptions in order for it to pass in the Democratic-led Assembly, which under Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, has resisted a tax cap.” (The Poughkeepsie Journal)* Inaugurating Cuomo: “There will be no real public celebrations — or private ones, for that matter.” (Albany Times-Union)

To Dream the Impossible Dream

The fight for control of the state Senate will continue at least into next week after Sen. Craig Johnson decided to kick his appellate court loss up to the Court of Appeals.

Heroes Storm the Congress and Revive

911 Bill Chances

9/11 responders hopeful on Zadroga after meeting (DN)

Reid vows 9/11 revote NYP) * Jon Stewart gives GOP senators the skewering their hypocrisy on 9/11 deserves (DN Ed) * Rep. Maloney snubbed in failed bid for leadership post (DN)* Sen. Chuck Schumer has perfected the chicken dance.

Gillibrand Takes Credit for Heroes Work Kirsten Gillibrand: I Think We Have The Votes For Zadroga 9/11 Bill

Crying Clown Gov Gov rues day top aide quit (NYP)

Wilmar ripped for giving big bucks to pols, gifts to Albany lawmakers up over two-year period (DN)

Assemblyman Darryl Towns comes to Walmart’s defense

The fight over the Kingsbridge Armory has escalated.

A rare good idea comes out of the City Council, but not so good we can't improve it (DN Ed)

No Jobs, No Jobs, No Jobs

Vendors at Aqueduct Flea Market Seek New Home as Closing Nears (NYT)

Parent Sues Children's Aid to Block School Closure (WSJ)

Terrorism Muslim ‘Radicalization’ Is Focus of Planned Inquiry (NYT)

Law and Order 3 more home invasions on LI (NYP) * Mob bagman gets 5 yrs. jail (NYP) * Nick on hook in gal slay (NYP) * Remains Don’t Match a New Jersey Woman (NYT) * Second Acquittal in New Jersey Corruption Sting (NYT) * Hate Charges Dropped in Subway Attack (NYT) * None of Bodies Found Are of Missing Woman (WSJ) * Rev. Al teams up with NYPD to get guns off Harlem streets (DN) * Weatherwoman milked rape lie to get rides to work from cops: source (DN) * Serial rapist fears in Flatbush, police continue search (DN) * A mugged Harlem man gets a grand gift (DN) * Police Release Photo Of Suspect In Harlem Shooting (NY1) * Judge sentences Long Island 'hit mom' to maximum 25 years behind bars (NYP) * Typical Drug Case, Except for the Ivy League Address (NYT) * Union steward gets five years for racketeering (NYP)

Larry King Larry King's run as CNN's prime-time guy comes to end (DN) * Larry King's Top 10 TV Moments * KING'S REIGN ENDS: 'Larry King Live' Over After 25 Years * Fade to yak Tears flow as fading King bids goodbye * The Downs and Way-Ups of Larry King‎Huffington Post *Watch Larry King's Biggest Bloopers Ever (VIDEO)‎*On Larry King's last show, Katie Couric's poem leaves a mark‎* Bill Clinton, Larry King, and the 'zipper club'USA Today * End of an era: CNN's Larry King hangs up suspendersCNN

Media and New Tech Rupert Murdoch’s “Daily” iPad Newspaper Set For January Launch

National
Bad Guys Play Children Game of Hide and Seek With the Media and It Works

Morgan Stanley CEO: I will escort out any bonu$ leakers (NYP)

It's hide and $eek Indicted Bernie aide in 'Mad' money shuffle (NYP)

Wall Street Whitewash The financial crisis has provided a teachable moment, all right, but not the one first expected.(Krudman, NYT) * Round Up the Usual Prospects Congress’s lame-duck session is offering daily profiles in hypocrisy by lawmakers who vowed to “change the culture” of Washington. (NYT Ed) * House tax cut package divides New York Democrats

Now They are the Bush- Obama Tax Cuts

President Obama signs tax-cut measure into law (Washington Post)

Settlement Reached With Estate Of Man Who Made Billions Off Madoff Scheme

Madoff trustee snares biggest settlement yet in deal with Jeffry Picower estate (NYP)

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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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