Do As I Say Not As I Do
Tishman Speyer real estate deal caused loss of hundreds of millions to public pensions. Now Speyer is leading NY pol group to cut pensions.(Twitter) Diane Ravitch . Tishman Speyer was part of a group that bought Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village for $5.4 billion in 2007 and went bankrupted last year. As a result of the deal Tishman Speyer lost billions for pension fund throughout the nation. Wall Street Hijacks Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for Stuy Town (True News)
The mayor who support the sale of Stuy Town to Tishman Spreyer and saw nothing wrong with his financial partner Steve Rattner play to play with billion of city pensions, now want to fixed the bankrupt pension system by reducing workers pension. The average city pension is 17,000. Mike's pension promise * The mayor vowed not to sign any new contracts with public employee unions that include salary increases unless pension concessions are also made. The Post signals its approval.
Mayor Goes After Workers Pensions At State of the City
Mayor Focuses on Small Things in His State of City Speech (NYT) * Mayor Pledges Tough Stance on Unions(WSJ) * Speaking from the St. George Theatre, Mayor Bloomberg takes aim at pensions(SI Advance) * Legacy: “Bloomberg’s carefully constructed philosopher’s image was finally shattered by the December 2010 blizzard and his own asleep-at-the-wheel reaction.” (National Review Online) * State of the Mayor’s Allies: Neither De Blasio, Liu nor Quinn were “willing to immediately endorse the mayor’s call” to reduce pensions. (New York Post) *Fact-Checking Bloomberg (WNYC) * Lillian Roberts: "Mayor Bloomberg chose to take the low road in his State of the City address; attacking city workers and the modest $17,000 per year pensions they've acquired after making contributions during decades of dedicated service and sacrifice." * In Light Of Albany Track Record, Doubts About Bloomberg Pension Proposals' Chances (City Hall News) * DC37 Makes The Case For Pensions (YNN) * Setting an Example: “Rich candidates can buy a lot of airtime, which occasionally wins them office: think of Michael Bloomberg in New York.” (Economist)
Catskill Casino Good For…Wisconsin? (YNN) * Giffords Headed to Houston for Rehab * F.B.I. and Police Arrest More Than 100 in Mob Sweep(NYT) * Cuomo Warns of Pain but Does Not Detail Scale of Cuts (NYT) * Beneath City's Falling Jobless Rate, a Less Rosy Reality(NYT) * Mayor Bloomberg and Bonuses: A Classic Flip-Flop? *Gov. takes aim at MTA payroll tax (NYP) * Gaspard to DNC: The New York labor guy leaves the White House. (politico.com) * Gatemouth on Bloomberg: “the problem wasn’t the accumulation of precipitation, but rather the uncleaned accumulations of arrogance and cluelessness.” (Room Eight) * Littlefield on Cuomo: “What share of the sacrifice will be going to the retired, particularly retired public employees?” (empire.wnyc.org) * Demolition Of Deutsche Bank Bldg. Finally Wraps Up (WCBS TV) * Cuomo Says He Doesn’t Expect To Shut NY Government (WCBS TV) * NYC suspends alternate side parking for snow removal (WABC TV) *FBI Rounds Up 100 Mobsters in Biggest NY Mafia Bust Ever (NBC) * Shabby Cabbies Told to Change Attire (NBC) * Document Drop: NYPIRG's Committee Financial Filings List - Updated * Brooklyn College, Steiner Studios partnering on new graduate film school (NYP) * CITYTIME HOLDS NYC HOSTAGE TO ONE COMPANY (Comptroller Liu)
NYT Off On Mayor's SOTC
I didn't quite buy the Times' spin on the mayor's speech. So he did not talk about national issues much. He never does at SOTC speeches! Erik Engquist (Twitter)
City never shoveled many Maspeth walks: Civic
The Supper Rich Grow More Supper
As Incomes Gap Widens, New York Grows Apart Today, the wealthiest 1 percent of city residents has 44 percent of all income in the city, a share nearly four times as great as 30 years ago.(Gotham Gazette)
Snow Blinders
Only TV News Covers Brooklyn Blizzard Hearing . . . Newspapers Ignored
Do the Newspapers Have the Mayor's Back?
City Council Blizzard Hearing (Fox5) * Brooklyn town hall meeting over blizzard response(WABC TV) * Brooklyn Residents Speak Out About the Blizzard(WNBC) * Queens Family Files Blizzard-Related Wrongful Death Suit (NY1)
Cuomo's Honeymoon Over?
Albany Not Happy Every After
Dems turn on Andy War over ending 'rich' tax (NYP) * Cuomo Weighs More Than 10,000 Layoffs9(WSJ) * Cuomo Considers Cutting Up to 15,000 State Workers(NYT) * Cuomo Breakfast With Lawmakers Gets Heated (WSJ)* What? State Conservative Party boss heaps praise on Cuomo (DN) * State of the city will be perilous if Albany doesn't free it from fiscal shackles it has imposed (DN) * Gov. Andrew Cuomo is weighing plans to lay off 10,000 to 12,000 – or maybe even 15,000 (depending on which newspaper report you believe) state workers. The last governor to order that many pink slips: Mario Cuomo.* The governor’s breakfast with Assembly Democrats at the executive mansion turned heated as lawmakers took on the governor for abandoning his progressive roots and tangled with him over the millionaire’s tax.* The challenge to Cuomo came from Assembly members Catherine Nolan, Rory Lancman and Barbara Clark, all of Queens.* The budget deficit has ballooned to $11 billion, according to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.* The GOP-led Senate passed a spending cap.* PEF: Massive Layoffs Would ‘Cripple’ State Services * ‘Short-Term Pain’ For ‘Long-Term Gain’
In Ancient Rome a horse reputedly became a senator, but in Albany we don't get the whole critter(DN Ed)
Sen. Eric Adams used campaign cash to cover legal expenses.
Former Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. reportedly wanted to write a book trashing ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer.* The Senate Democrats laid off 130 staffers as they settled into their new-old role in the minority.
Grace Meng Sumos Rush
Assemblywoman Calls Out Limbaugh
My Wonder Years Are Over
Wonder Bread plant set to make its last loaves, ending its 130-year run ends (DN) * Hostess To Close Queens Wonder Bread Factory (NY1)
Growing Criticism of Labor Leader Who Doubled His Salary The New York City Central Labor Council has fallen into disarray, and its leader, Jack Ahern, has been chided for doubling his salary. (NYT)
Black Meets the Parents FU&7ker# You
Embattled Schools Chancellor Cathie Black taunted by Brooklyn crowd (DN) * Plan Offered to Overhaul Discipline of Teachers(NYT) * New High School Is Approved for Park Slope(NYP) * City Opens Inquiry on Grading Practices at a Top-Scoring Bronx School(NYT) * Joel Klein cashes in for 34K pension - after decrying teacher benefits (DN) * Parents catch sex offender working at Queens school * Schools Chancellor Met With Jeers At First Public Hearing(NY1) * Grade-A 'fraud'(NYP) * Dept. of Ed. 'crams' in $4.4B budget-hike bid(NYP) * Black predecessor, Joel Klein, slammed teacher pensions but is receiving a $34,000-a-year pension himself.* New Schools Chancellor Cathie Black Gets Booed in Brooklyn (NY Magazine) * New schools chancellor Cathie Black was repeatedly interrupted by boos and catcalls by the roughly 200 parents, students and teachers assembled in the Brooklyn Technical High School for a policy forum last night. (NYDN) * Cathie Black Booed at Brooklyn Policy Meeting (Video)
45% Of Students Don't Learn Much In College(Huff Post)
Taxi Shape Up
Taxis Fear Bump in Road With Mayor's Plan(WSJ)* Medallion Cab Drivers Angry Over Livery Proposal
New York's Economic Meltdown
Price of property still falling across city - Crain's New York Business www.crainsnewyork.com * Move to Double Capacity of a Shelter Raises Fears(NYT) * Hotel Tenants Balk at Shelter Plan A plan to open a homeless shelter on the Upper West Side is moving forward despite a snag between the city and the building owner in the efforts to prepare the facility as a shelter.(WSJ) * Sales numbers for Brooklyn and Queens end 2010 on a low note: http://t.co/9pxXO49 * Beneath City's Falling Jobless Rate, a Less Rosy Reality (NYT) * Joseph MercurioNYS Lost 22,600 Private Sector Jobs In December
Rep. Charlie Rangel has suffered one final indignity in his long fall from grace: The 40-year veteran of the House won’t lead his party’s forces even on a subcommittee. (POLITICO)
A-Rated Eateries Won't Pay Fines(WSJ)
Woman Abducted as Infant in 1987 Meets Family(NYT) * More Than 20 Years Later, Missing Baby Is Found(WSJ) * Etan Patz, father are hidden heroes in Carlina kidnap case (DN) * Carlina White, kidnapped 24 years ago, reunites with family (DN) * Suspect turns himself in for role in police-gun shenanigans (DN) * Woman abducted as an infant from Harlem Hospital reunites with parents(NYP)
FBI Rounds Up 100 Alleged Mobsters In Biggest NY Mafia Bust Ever
Epic mob bust: More than 100 gangsters, including Colombo crime boss, rounded up (DN) * Up to 100 US mobsters arrested in biggest Mafia round-up in NY history(NYP* Mobster Bragged of Dangling Mom-in-Law Off the Roof (Village Voice) * Azi Paybarah Busted: Tony Bagels, Junior Lollipops, Vinny Carwash empire.wnyc.org Law and Order Queens Man Pleads Guilty in Sex-Trafficking CaseNY social worker stabbed during home visit(WSJ) (WSJ)** NYPD brass threatens academy supervisors over parking spots(DN) * NYPD Sgt. stands up to attacker (DN) * Brooklyn couple arrested for holding cache of weapons in their home(NYP) * Social Worker Stabbed by Client, Police Say (WNBC) * Brooklyn couple arrested for holding cache of weapons in their home (NYP) * Ex-cop faces teen-rape rap (NYP) * Body on LI beach is ID'd (NYP) * Ex-cop pleads guilty to murdering girlfriend (NYP) * Hardworking busboy killed in apparent mugging (NYP) * Queens man Gino Florencia sentenced to 33 years in murder-for-hire plot * Tourist busted after venturing into Dakota, bumping into Yoko Ono (NYP)
Terrorism NY subway bomb plotter waiting in wings as witness(WSJ)
On JFK 50th, Kennedy family gathers in Washington(AP)
VIDEO: 50 years later, Kennedy inaugural address still soars - Enterprise News
Inside Kennedy's Inauguration, 50 Years On (The Daily Beast)
Bono: "What I Learned From Sargent Shriver"
President's Ratings Climb
POTUS to shut WH political office, director Gaspard to head to DNC; Messina to run '12 reelect w/Smoot + Dillon http://abcn.ws/g9Ou9e (Twitter) Jake Tapper * New York's Patrick Gaspard To Head DNC
