Albany's Allowed to Continue to Play
Our state is in a $10 billion hole - but where are our seats?
The state Senate majority and minority members squabbled over seating in a tiff that quickly devolved into a racially-tinged verbal pushing match.
The perennially dysfunctional state Senate sunk to the level of nursery-school musical chairs on Monday when an argument over seating arrangements broke out. We are already in the cutting of services season Schedule Changes Coming To Several Bus Routes (NY1) Albany gets away with MTA cuts and fare increases because the public does not understand that Albany controls the MTA budget. The MTA even is allowed to get with keeping the corrupt contract CityTime despite warning by both the city and state comptrollers Despite Scandal And DiNapoli’s Warning, MTA Keeps Contract With CityTime Vendor On Track (City Hall). More importantly as Albany's pols fight about what chair to sit in nobody is talking about the effects of the 11 billion dollar cuts on the citizens of New York who depend on those services With cuts in city, state and federal funding the services the city will be able to provide will be greatly reduced by the end of this year. Federal budget cuts will hurt New York, decrease education funds, cut into MTA * Gov. Cuomo Budget Could Hit NYC Hard (Fox 5) * Capping Property Taxes: Senate Democrats say they support, but not how they’ll pay for it. (Buffalo News) * See It To Believe It: Senate Seating Brawl (Video) * State Senate Independent Democratic Conference Members Score Committee Posts After All: Updated x 2
True News PM Update
News After the Morning Papers
Obama tonight: "This is our generation's Sputnik moment."
Tucson Shooting Hero Daniel Hernandez Headed To NYC To Talk Gun Control(DN) * Rahm Emanuel back on the ballot. Supreme court grants stay, directed board to print name. * Illinois Supreme Court grants stay, Rahm's name must appear on ballot until final decision is made.* Alliance For Quality Education: Spending Cuts Would Devastate Schools, Teachers (DN) * Retired nurse's death in Upper West Side "hit and run" deemed a manslaughter (NYP) * Police Confront 'Day of Revolt' in Egypt (The Daily Beast * Snow alert issued for New York City (WABCTV)* State Senate Independent Democratic Conference Members Score Committee Posts After All: Updated x 2 * Glass Ceiling Persists in New York Government (Gotham Gazette) * Four people are vying to be the next executive director of the embattled NYC Board of Elections.* Obama State Of The Union Speech 2011: FULL TEXT
Albany Update
Soda 'fat' tax gets the ax from new health commissioner (DN) * The tax cap battle rages on at the Capitol. * Cuomo and lawmakers are negotiating an ethics reform package that could be ready for voting in a few weeks or even days. *No lulu for Sen. David Valesky or any of his fellow IDC members.* Sen. Jeff Klein and his fellow IDC members took aim at OT and other cost overruns at OCFS.* Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said extending the millionaire’s tax is still an option, even though the governor has made it clear he opposes that.* Budgeting NYC: “Albany is going to be a hindrance,” says Bloomberg. (New York Post) * Cuomo’s Health Commissioner: A GOP senator says “His biggest challenge will be the budget cuts.” (Albany Times-Union) * Capping Property Taxes: “even with support from the leader of Democrats in the Senate, Cuomo’s cap faces a tougher sell in the Assembly.” (Albany Times-Union) * The Alliance for Quality Education is laying the groundwork to fight the education aid cuts expected on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget, arguing a significant reduction in funding will worsen the existing divide between wealthy and low-income school districts. In an unusual development, the AQE has teamed up with NYSUT in the impending battle over public school aid.* #nysenate is in session, with John Sampson objecting that GOP is rushing rules. (Twitter)
The mayor has a public relations operation that is no match for the media. The only media story that was not driven by the mayor's PR operation was the snow storm. Instead of looking at how crime is increasing in the city and the challenge to the NYPD crime statistics Bloomberg cleverly puts together an anti gun press conference that overshadows all other crime stories. Mayor Joins Victims Of Gun Violence To Call For Major Reforms (NY1) Only the Daily News offered some analysis on Bloomberg's crime claims. Not quite, Mike: Women rip Mayor Bloomberg's 'safer streets' boast (DN) * Bloomberg and Relatives of Shooting Victims Push for Stricter Gun Control(NYT) * The NYP opposes the mayor's gun program but does not talk about increased crime or fake NYPD crime numbers More empty gun talk (NYP) * Bloomberg Takes Gun Control Crusade to Katie Couric [Video] *Giffords’ Intern Supports Bloomberg’s Gun Check Plan * MTA Still Broke; Will Raise Fares, Again, in 2013(Village Voice)
The Judiciary
Teacher Tenure
State law requires City Hall to lay off the most recently hired teachers first, no matter how effective. And to keep the most senior, no matter how ineffective. Seniority first, kids last (NYP Ed)
MTA $nowstorm Took a $30M hit from blizzard (NYP) * Cuomo won't make change: Walder still No. 1 man at MTA (DN) * December Blizzard Will Cost Over $68 Million (NYT) * Bloomberg's snowstorm troubles turning into legal troubles with wrongful death suit. * DA eyes raps vs. 'signal cheats' (NYP) * In the wake of the CityTime scandal, most agencies are distancing themselves from Science Applications International Corp., the main contractor on the $700 million project that is now the subject of fraud and money laundering charges. But not the MTA. Transit officials are pushing forward with a $118 million contact with SAIC for a radio system upgrade, despite the contract’s previous rejection by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. (CH News) * Tales of death at Queens Blizzard hearings (Queens Courier)
Most City Eateries Earning A's(WSJ) The majority of New York City restaurants are earning As under a controversial letter-grading system that took effect last year, exceeding the expectations of health officials.
The majority of NYC restaurants are earning the top mark under a letter-grading system that took effect about six months ago. According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's six-month analysis, 57.2% of restaurants have earned A's under the grading system, while 30.2% received B's and 12.7% were given C's, the lowest grade. (WSJ)
Another PCB School . . . How Many More?
PCBs Found In Another School (Fox 5) * PCBs Found in Fort Greene School(WSJ) * Concerns Raised Over Plan To Combine Three Harlem Schools (NY1)
Markowitz's Conspiracy Theory
Markowitz on PPW Data: It’s a Vast Biking Conspiracy(Street Blog.Org)
City Targets Web With New Hire(WSJ) * Digital NYC: One reader doesn’t see the benefit of Bloomberg’s new hire. (empire.wnyc.org)
Law and Order LI serial slayer'Craiglist creep killed 4 hookers' (NYP) *Serial killer likely after all 4 bodies ID'd as prostitutes (DN)* howdown with 'kidnap mom' in court (NYP) * Girl-slay driver in appeal bid (NYP) * Top wiseguys were key rats in massive swoop (NYP) * 'Flashlight' shoot happened before (NYP) * NY pols furious over 9/11 coins (NYP) * Woman Admits to Kidnapping Baby in 1987(NYT) * Police Say Slain Women Worked as Prostitutes (NYT) * Serial Killer Blamed for Deaths of 4 Women(WSJ) * Woman Charged in '87 Kidnapping of Infant(WSJ) * NYC man gets 107 years in prison(WSJ) * I was arrested for stealing my own car: Dad suing NYPD (DN) * Daly: Paralyzed cop Steven McDonald still fighting good fight (DN) *Foul-mouthed killer to judge: 'Suck' it (DN) * 'Holiday Bandit' bank robber strikes again in NYC (WABC TV)* Video: Teens Gone Wild at Wendy's http://bit.ly/f9bgcF
Terrorism Embassy Bomber Is Sentenced to Life Without Parole (NYT) *Moscow airport terror blast kills 35(NYP) * Suicide bomber strikes Moscow's busiest airport, killing 35 (DN)* Report: Two possible suicide bombers in Moscow airport blast (Washington Post) *Security footage shows part of Domodedovo explosion* Gitmo detainee gets life sentence in embassy plot (WABC)
