Thursday, December 23, 2010

City Time: No Watchdog


Breaking News

New York City Payroll Chief Resigns After Indictments in Project He Oversaw (NYT)

NYC payroll chief resigns after fraud probe (WSJ)

Head of City Payroll Office Resigns (WNYC)

NY1 Exclusive: Wide Inquiry Into City IT-Related Contracts Follows Payroll ...(NY1)

City Payroll Chief Quits Amid Growing Scandal


The city allowed the oversight consultant firm, Spherion, to select its own watchdog

'Kickback' in Time City payroll firm eyed for shady deal(NYP)* Liu Hits at Mayor on CityTime Fraud (WSJ) * Mark Mazer, CityTime consultant accused of scamming millions, has checkered past of investigations The former Child Welfare Administration cut his pay after he was eyed in an FBI probe into missing millions. (DN)* NYC Comptroller John Liu questioned Bloomberg’s professed “zero tolerance” approach to public corrruption. * CityTime Scam Gains Kickbacks, Sketchy History (Gothamist)


SAIC, which employs 44,000 people and took in $8 billion last year (Vanity Fair)

Breaking News

Was the City Trying to Give SAIC A Lifetime Contract?

 


John Haggerty Won't Plea

When the New York State Independence Party attempted to return money that prosecutors say was stolen from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire mayor said: No thank you. 

Bloomberg: No To Cash Back (WSJ)

 





After years of delay and a dramatic 11th-hour compromise

$4.3 bil for 9/11 heroes (NYP) * Senate Passes 9/11 Health Bill as Republicans Back Down (NYT) * Gillibrand Gains Foothold With 9/11 Aid Victory * Health Bill for 9/11 Responders Is Approved  * End of a 'national disgrace' as D.C. pols wake up and finally provide for our 9/11 heroes (DN) * America saves national honor as Senate passes long-overdue Zadroga health bill for 9/11 responders (DN Ed) * Congress Passes Scaled-Down 9/11 Health Care Bill (NY1)* The bill passed the House in a vote of 206 to 60 and is headed to President Obama’s desk for his expected signature. * Sen. Mitch McConnell insisted there was never any doubt that the Zadroga bill would pass, saying the suggestion Republicans wanted to kill the measure is a “gross distortion of the facts.”  * Suffolk County DA Thomas J. Spota blasted Paterson for commuting John White’s sentence without reaching out to the victim’s family first.

NYPD arrests guy for photographing nostalgia train

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After Spitzer and Paterson State Police Scandals All Cuomo Pick has to Do is Stay Out of Trouble to Be A Hero

A cop for Cuomo (NYP Ed) * Cuomo Names Aide and Veteran New York City Officer to Lead the State Police (NYT) * Cuomo Announces Police Nominee(WSJ) * The Post thinks D’Amico has his work cut out for him, and wishes him well.


Albany Swamp
The Senate Democrats are accusing the Republicans of renegging on their pledge to support independent redistricting reform.* How Paul Rivera Delayed Legislation, Kept A Hand On The DSCC And Fumbled His Way To A Chief Of Staff Position With Senate Democrats He Denies He Has (City Hall) * Dirty pols should lose pension, state Controller Thomas DiNapoli says (DN) * Cuomo Keeps Schwartz, Brings Back Francis * Gov. Paterson's Veto Of Prevailing Wage Law Praised And Panned  * Cuomo has reportedly hired Assemblyman Dov Hikind’s chief of staff to be his Jewish liaison.  * Jimmy Vielkind says Casey Seiler "found a new wrinkle in his reporting on yesterday’s decision to pull the plug on the New York State Theater Institute: the youth-art’s program’s budget director is in the cross hairs of the Commission on Public Integrity for back-dating checks."


Pay to Play Vito Lopez   Vito speaks — sort of!

Pay to Play Joe Bruno Bruno’s Appeal



Lawyer John O'Hara is still holding out hope for a pardon from Paterson, according to the T-U.

Some Say D'Amato the Lobbyist is Running the GOP Al D’Amato, ‘Wizard Of Oz’? * Madison County, Big Lobbying Spender

 

Google New York

Google Sets Business Focus in Chelsea Google closed on the $1.9 billion purchase of its New York headquarters in a deal that's become a powerful symbol of how the tech sector is helping to shore up New York's economy. (WSJ) * High-End Sales Sputtering(WSJ) * Daffy's in Times Square Debut Daffy's has plans to open a Times Square outlet in the latest sign of the area's transformation into a center for low-priced fashion.

 

 

 Over a Billion for the 7 train extension to the Westside and not enough to pay for contracted raises?

 

 

Judge To Hear Arguments Over Incoming Schools Chancellor's Waiver (NY1)

Charter's bad course (NYP)

Debate began in court over the waiver granted to NYC Schools Chancellor-in-waiting Cathie Black.

 

Documents Reveal Depth of Bloomberg Administration Assistance On 'Ground Zero Mosque'

 

 

Coney 'Freak' is bulldozed (NYP)




 

 

 

'I'm not Bernie Madoff': Suspect accused of robbing 11 churches just wanted to pay Con Ed bill (DN) Law and Order Cops shoot Queens 'slasher' dead (NYP) * Body-dump fiend caught on camera (NYP) * Family's rage at laughing killer (NYP) * Woman’s Body Is Found in Suitcase (NYT) * Judge Criticizes Stop-and-Frisk Police Tactics in Housing Projects (NYT) * Body Found in Suitcase(WSJ) * Cops insist freed shooting suspect is guilty; video says otherwise (DN) * WATCH: Suspect pulled suitcase with dead woman stuffed inside (DN) * Man with knife shot dead by Queens cops after mom calls 911 (DN) * SVU to be first on sex-crime scenes, Kelly says (DN) * Let city deal with juvenile offenders instead of shipping them to costly upstate hellholes (DN Ed) * Police Seek Person Of Interest In Connection With Discovered Body (NY1) * Paterson Commutes Sentence In Racially-Charged LI Case * Police Kill Man Wielding Knife in Queens (NYT)



‘Spider-Man’ Shows Are Canceled to Test a New Safety Plan (NYT) * Oh, Spider-Man! “Spider-Man” has already set the record for the most expensive production on Broadway. It may also set the record for most injuries. (NYT Ed) * 'Spider-Man' Performance Grounded(WSJ)* Beyond 'Spider-Man': 10 Onstage Mishaps (WSJ) * 'Spider-Man' to resume today as producers mull better safety measures (DN) * Suffolk County DA Thomas J. Spota blasted Paterson for commuting John White’s sentence without reaching out to the victim’s family first.



Media and New Tech   Vow-row former husband incensed Times story slammed as harming kids

The Senate Surmounts Politics (NYT Ed) * Operation Cooperation(WSJ)