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Senate Dems Boot Espada
Outgoing Bronx state Sen. Pedro Espada and son indicted on six ...New York Daily New
NY state senator charged with embezzlement - Wall Street Journal * Document Drop: Pedro Espada Indictment * Attorney General Conference Call On Pedro Espada: Live
City Room: Espada Charged With Stealing From Nonprofit - New York Times (blog) * What Espada Spent Money On: Mary Poppins, Kenny G and Neyo
Pedro Espada Jr. Indicted for Embezzlement - Gothamist * State Sen. charged with embezzlement (NYP) * End Game: Espada Busted Edition
Gov’t-funded Pedro-on-Pedro report: He’s awesome The Bronx Democrat who lost a primary election earlier this year, has produced a 34-page taxpayer-funded report detailing the glories of the work he did as majority leader.
The Online News Revolution From Informing to Spin, Copy and Trash
In the days before the Internet, TV and cable many New Yorkers received most of their news in the morning from newspapers like The Daily News, Post, Mirror, Journal American, Harold Tribune and World Telegram and PM.
Much of the news in Today's morning papers was available on the Internet from many sources, not just the paper that printed the story the day before, in many cases days before it came out in printed.
A second important trend on what New Yorkers read as news is the increasingly copy cat nature of the media. While much of what appears on morning local TV news has always been taken from the newspapers, it is clear that the stories online are become the main source for local TV news. Competition newspapers also use the online news stories not only for ideas and research, but an increasing feeling that if people are reading a story on the Internet, even if it is a competitor they must cover that story in their paper. On the national political level cable TV shows and bloggers are increasing doing stories about each other focusing less on hard news. “Very Pissed,” Fox's Neil Cavuto Rips MSNBC's Chris Matthews Over Calling Chris Christie “Fat”
Independent bloggers have increasingly been complaining that old media or mainstream journalist have rips off their stories without giving them credit. Cutbacks in the news media caused by the recession and loss of readers to the Internet has meant that less news is being covered by the mainstream media, especially on weekend, has caused them to use bloggers as Cliff notes. Shrinking Newspaper Coverage Means Less Real TV News, More Sexy Reporters
The final and most important result of new news delivery system is that during this transition period from newspapers to online journalism, the most important job of a free press, that of being a watchdog of the pols and government is failing. The failure is not only because of the move to online, it has a lot to do with the loss of mom pop owners of the newspapers and the fact that in the past copy boys become reporters after they learned journalism with the attitude of their owners that pols and rich were the bad guys. Today newsroom are filled reporter from very expensive Ivy League journalism school, high salaries and the owners of papers are big businessman who make their money by tapping onto the government's tit, mostly thought real estate and Wall Street Investments like pension funds. So over the last three decades newspaper owners have changed from and adversary relationship with government and pols to a partnership. Government Patronage Have Moved Away From the Individual to the Boardroom and Super Rich
Tom Robbins of the Village Voice wrote an excellent column last year about the results of the change in journalism The unexamined world of Mike Bloomberg. Robins could have also written other similar columns about the unexamined slush fund at the City Council or the corruption in the city's pension funds or how Albany has become an organized crime enterprise.
The final and most important result of new news delivery system is that during this transition period from newspapers to online journalism, the most important job of a free press, that of being a watchdog of the pols and government is failing. The failure is not only because of the move to online, it has a lot to do with the loss of mom pop owners of the newspapers and the fact that in the past copy boys become reporters after they learned journalism with the attitude of their owners that pols and rich were the bad guys. Today newsroom are filled reporter from very expensive Ivy League journalism school, high salaries and the owners of papers are big businessman who make their money by tapping onto the government's tit, mostly thought real estate and Wall Street Investments like pension funds. So over the last three decades newspaper owners have changed from and adversary relationship with government and pols to a partnership. Government Patronage Have Moved Away From the Individual to the Boardroom and Super Rich
Tom Robbins of the Village Voice wrote an excellent column last year about the results of the change in journalism The unexamined world of Mike Bloomberg. Robins could have also written other similar columns about the unexamined slush fund at the City Council or the corruption in the city's pension funds or how Albany has become an organized crime enterprise.
Andrew Cuomo's tax cap proposal is already changing some minds in Albany * The Democrat & Chronicle plans to hold Cuomo to his pledge to clean up Albany “sleaze.” * The tax cap battle lines are being drawn.
Old Day
The Last Time Bloomberg Got All Bipartisan-y
Chris Matthews doesn’t think Bloomberg is running for president.
Teacher-tenure standards raised(NYP) * NYC Gets Tougher on Tenure(WSJ) * DOE Outlines New Teacher Tenure Policy (NY1) * Schools’ New No. 2 Believes in More Testing (NYT)* More than two-thirds of New York City's public school students will begin getting more nutritious free or low-cost school lunches under First Lady Michelle Obama's pet project to get kids to eat well and exercise.
Dangerous Subway Practices
Workers frequently failed to do required tests and maintenance on subway signals throughout New York City, then lied about it in the records they're required to fill out, according to a Metropolitan Transportation Authority report. MTA Workers Falsified Signal Inspections (WSJ) * Subway riders divided over potential closures for repairs (DN) * MTA To Revamp Signal Inspections In Wake Of Report (NY1)
What about Jobs, Jobs, Jobs?
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. let down the Bronx when he killed the Kingsbridge Armory mall (DN Ed) * Quinn stands firm against Walmart opening in NYC (DN) * The battle over the NYC living wage bill is heating up.
Hospital Cutback
How come the mayor is keep out of all the stories about cuts in city services?
Harlem Hospital Doctors Threaten to Strike Physicians at the municipal institution in Manhattan are opposed to a New York City decision to loosen its ties with Columbia University. (NYT) * Mayor's Fire Cuts Get Hostile Hearing(WSJ) * FDNY's accident tax should be DOA, says pol (DN) * Food for needy rolls in at Forest Hills High (DN) * Cassano: Overnight Firehouse Closures A Must
Fake Bloomberg Group Fakes Its Logo
A screen shot of the More Party Animals homepage.
The fledgling centrist political organization No Labels appears to have borrowed the graphic design of another political group. But its designer insists the resemblance is coincidental. Political Group’s Logo Called Copy
What About Pension Reforms After Hevesi?
After narrowly winning the Nov. 2 general election, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is shaking up his staff, and has asked for resignation letters from 15 senior aides. * DiNapoli to Move Back Inauguration, Putting Pressure on Cuomo, Schneiderman
From True News The Pension Fund Cover-Up: Billions in Government Funds Will Be Need to Keep the Funds Afloat
Law and Order 'Text' gal hit with slay rap (NYP) * Grim chores for bros of SoHo victim (NYP) * Maniac kills ma (NYP) * Thug busted in Bronx diner-cop shooting(NYP) * Man Stabbed His Parents, Then Jumped in Front of a Train, the Police Say (NYT) * Man Is Questioned in Shooting of Off-Duty N.Y. Officer (NYT) * Modern Eye on Midtown's Diamond Dealers (WSJ) * Suspect in Parents' Stabbing Jumps in Front of Train(WSJ) * Rapper Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge(WSJ) * Queens gay basher gets 8 years (DN) * Cop didn't say he threw fatal punch (DN) * Hair salon gunman gets 53 years in jail (DN) * Mental patient causes grisly Brooklyn scene: cops (DN) * Brooklyn Man Fatally Stabs Mother, Critically Wounds Father (NY1) * Cops release photo of suspects in attack of 90-year-old man (NYP)
Tax-Cut Vote Splits New York Senators Gillibrand voted against a massive tax-cut package hammered out between Obama and Senate Republicans, while Schumer voted to support the legislation. (WSJ) * The tax cut deal has some significant sweeteners in it. * “I disagree that we didn’t get anything. We got screwed,” Rep. Gary Ackerman said of the tax cut agreement.
President Obama's approval rating has fallen to its lowest point ever in New York.
