Thursday, March 3, 2011

Albany's Realty Bites: Honeymoon Was Press and Consultanted Invented.

A Honeymoon is  Not Possible For Cuomo In This Environment

On February 23 True News wrote that the Cuomo honeymoon was over because it was time to start making decisions and showing his hand.  Today the WSJ caught our drift Seeing Honeymoon Coming to End (WSJ). It it not Cuomo fault.  Honeymoons are only  possible for pols in time of economic prosperity and international piece, which this is not.  Cuomo now must make hard decision which will help some and hurt others.  There is not enough money to make all sides happy like there were in the past.  In other words as the governors plans become clear he is making enemies. 


The media and some of the consultants around Cuomo counted on polls which show him very popular to much. What the media has not done is put the polls into context that once the new governor starts making decisions and making enemies his popularity will fall.  Cuomo getting 4% less public support then when Spitzer came to office four years ago.  


Going Nuclear

Cuomo-Bloomy teachers feud goes nuclear (DN)

Gov. Cuomo is working against the kids and for the teachers union's worst on seniority-based layoffs (DN Ed)Cuomo’s Teacher Plan Criticized as Falling Short on Seniority Rule (NYT) * Cuomo, Bloomberg squabble, but it's the kids who lose (DN) * Mike: Cuomo's plan skips LIFO heave-ho (NYP) * Cuomo's compromise (NYP) * Bloomy bumbles big-time trying to Capitolize (Dicker, NYP) * A.M. Roundup: The LIFO wars (TU) * Bloomberg said Cuomo’s plan will “kick some of our best teachers to the curb.”* The mayor is still hoping the governor puts a LIFO repeal into his budget amendments. (Not likely) * The Senate says it will do just that if Cuomo doesn’t.* Cuomo's bill doesn’t repeal LIFO as the law of the land, it simply kicks the can down the road – and it will kick some of our best teachers to the curb and that would be a travesty,” Bloomberg said. (DN) * Senate Dems Back Cuomo’s Teacher Evaluation Plan (YNN) *Breaking: New York is Not Wisconsin (NYO) * Cuomo on Bloomberg: "I didn't think he was critical of me"  (DN) * Cuomo And Bloomberg Chat, Cool Down LIFO Rhetoric (YNN) * And Mayor Bloomberg Makes Nice Back To Gov. Cuomo On LIFO (Sorta) (DN)

 

 NYP Vs Daily News on LIFO

The Post, a major booster of repealing LIFO, deems Cuomo’s bill a “good-faith” effort and thinks the mayor should cooperate. The DN begs to differ, calling Cuomo’s plan “the functional equivalent of a fraud” and demanding that he “reverse course.” * Fred Dicker calls Bloomberg’s miscalculation on LIFO “breathtaking,” and wonders why he’s pushing the issue so hard. 

Dicker Radio Show 'Who the Heck Is the Mayor...'(NYO) * Fred Dicker to Mayor Bloomberg: Back off Cuomo, bud!

 

Will Cuomo's Anti-Union Label Stick on Bloomberg

NYP Dicker quotes a source "close to Cuomo": "Does Bloomberg really believe the governor would endanger his budget to satisfy [the mayor's] desire to lay off teachers who may not have to be fired?"

In the war over LIFO, a Cuomo spokesman accused Mayor Bloomberg of supporting anti-union efforts along the lines of what’s happening in Wisconsin.  * Teacher Layoffs:"Bloomberg charged, in effect, that the governor pulled a bait-and-switch." [Times Union]

 

Albany Works Like A Swingers Party


In the coming month the three men in the room with make hundreds of decision between each other.  That means at the same time they will be working for and against each other on various issues.  Even when the 3 men are opposing each other on redistricting or teacher's seniority they are working together on dozens if not hundreds of other issues.  There are even deals between each other to take the public heat on a given issue and the other two will give in on issues helpful to the leader taking the heat.  Sometimes taking the heat is not only for your party.  It does  not matter that Speaker Silver signs on for independent redistricting if he knows that Skelos will hold the fort on that issue.  Both Schumer and Rangel publicly are supporting the continuation of political redistricting that Skelos is fight to keep.  Every democratic incumbent is hopping Seklos win so they can again draw they district most favorable to get themselves reelected.  Silver who will fight to keep from limiting fees in medical malpractice suits is help Skelos and other GOP members whose firms make millions on medical suits.  Mayor Koch calls Dean Skelos an enemy of reform: Powerful Albany pol broke his word (DN Ed)Proposed Malpractice Limits Face a Fight in Albany (NYT)Assembly nearing plan to pull busted pols' pensions (DN)



More Albany News Formal talks with public employee unions will start next week, a senior Cuomo aide said. But in testimony before a legislative budget panel, Director of State Operations Howard Glaser said the administration would begin planning for up to 9,800 layoffs if new contracts are not largely settled by the current contracts' expiration on April 1. (T-U)




Good Government Groups Fail At Reform Succeed At Getting Press
Fines for violating New York City’s lobbying laws fell a staggering 93% over the past year, raising concerns among government watchdogs that enforcement of the city’s lobbying laws has slackened. (CHN)









 Will Albany Close A School for the Deaf and Keep Them Lulus and Member Items?

A Crown Heights school for the deaf could be closing down this summer because of state budget cuts. Deaf kids from around the city have received a free education from St. Francis DeSales on Eastern Parkway for more than half a century - but that could all come to an end in July under Cuomo's plan to slash state funding. (NYDN)


Where kids get an educa-shun Panel's shocking findings at three awful city schools





 34th Street Plaza Stopped

Sadik-Khan pulls back her plans
After spending millions on designs and planning the city agreed with reality that the 34th Street Plaza would block access to residential buildings and business by limiting the direction of automobile traffic would clog up side streets. City Drops Plan for 34th St. Pedestrian Plaza (NYT) * City Drops Plaza Plan For 34th(WSJ) * Miracle on 34th St. - Herald plaza axed






 

 

City Loses More Money With Construction Increases Than Pension Rip Offs

Comptroller and City Development Agency Battle Over Questionable Contract Costs Turner Construction contract jumped from $73.5 million, from $7.5 million for several EDC projects.(NYT)

 

 

With Construction Costs Out of Control the City's Wants to Push Out Businesses to Construct A New Neighborhood

In Willets Point, Workers and a Resident Fight On (NYT)

 

 



Some Ethic Pig Professors Are More Equal Than Others

Waterfront Commissioner illegally parks car with state placard to teach NYU class on corruption (DN)


 






No Quotas in the NYPD
Cop caught on tape pushing for busts, but brass says there's no quotas (DN)


 

 

 

Paterson's Pals Give Soft Landing for Bum Who Stopped the Former Governor From Running for Reelection

In Plea Deal, Ex-Paterson Aide Admits Shoving Former Companion (NYT) * Paterson Ex-Aide Pleads Guilty(WSJ) * Dave aide admits love scuffle (NYP)

 

Bad Boy Mayor 2013

Really? Gasparino: "the political class [is] buzzing about him [Spitzer] running for mayor in 2013" 


 

Only Congress and the President Can Stop Gun Clips

City is flooded with Illegal Guns and Clips

New York lawmakers: Ban high-capacity gun clips (DN)

 

Irving Picard Will Cause the Wilpon's to Flee Soon

A federal appeals panel reviewing a compensation plan for former clients of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff cast doubt on claims by the embattled owners of the New York Mets and other investors that they have a right to keep millions of dollars of fictitious profits. Court hears Mets owners' challenge to Madoff loss calculations; Judge calls profits 'figments of the imagination'

Mets Owners Threatened With More Charges The owners of the New York Mets, who face a $1 billion lawsuit related to withdrawals they made from Bernard Madoff's investment firm, are expected to face additional allegations if they fail to reach a settlement. Irving Picard, the trustee seeking to recover money for Madoff investors, filed a lawsuit against the Mets' owners, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, and their associates in December, alleging they knew or should have known about the fraud at the firm over their decades-long relationship with Mr. Madoff. Mr. Picard is seeking nearly $300 million in false profits he says the team owners and their associates withdrew before Mr. Madoff's scheme collapsed, plus $700 million in principal. (WSJ) * Court gestures (NYP) * Ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo Mediates Mets, Madoff Case (WCBS TV)

 

City Council Favors Pregnancy Center Disclosures (NYT) * Abortion Disclosure Bill for Centers Passes(WSJ) * Bill seeks truth in advertising at crisis pregnancy 'clinics' (DN) * 'Abort' law hits clinics (NYP)










Law and Order  Richards' daughter arrested for graffiti, drugs (NYP) * Husband Allegedly Killed Wife, Child(WSJ) * Charges Dismissed in Shootout in Harlem(WSJ) * Police Kill Man Allegedly Armed for Mass Murder (WSJ) * Richards daughter arraigned in drug, graffiti case (WSJ) * Jury to weigh self-help speaker's NYC death case(WSJ) * Cut-and-paste kiddie porn pervert loses appeal (DN) * Man Charged With Killing Two, Setting Bronx Apartment Fire Dies(NY1) * Bronx Bodega Owners Terrorized By Armed Robbers (NY1) * S.I. Men Charged With Running House Of Pot (NY1) * Man Arrested In Deadly Police Shootout Cleared Of Charges (NY1) * In Social Media Postings, a Trove for Investigators (NYT) * Family massacre Dad kills wife, tot (NYP) * Cops find pot jungle in Staten Island(NYP) *Cops hunt for hulking perv after sexual assault in Bx. (NYP) * *Queens man dead from stab wounds; mother investigated (NYP) * Bronx Bodega Robbery Spree Has Residents On Edge (Video, WCBS TV) * Guilty Verdict in 'Assisted Suicide' Murder Trial  *Mini-Madoff Kenneth Starr Sentenced To Prison (Huff Post) * City Room: An Angry Man Is Met by a Smart, Experienced Police Team 

terrorism  NJ terror suspects plead guilty

Park Slopers fight new hip-hop club



Media and New Tech  Apple's FaceTime to become tool for sex video chat (DN)Final test for Times pay wall (NYP) * How the Edwards Affair Ended Up in the Enquirer (Huff Post)

 

 

 

 

 

 NY'S Congressional Delegation Asleep At the Job Again?

Lawmakers are going to have to fix a snafu in the reopened 9/11 Victims' Compensation Fund before it can get going at full speed, the Daily News has learned. It fails to specify how to administer the $2.8 billion compensation fund - and no one in Congress wants to dig deeper into the federal coffers to pay for it. (NYDN)

SEC Probes Bank-Loan Practices The agency is zeroing in on lenders that have restructured troubled loans in order to make them appear healthier than they really are. (WSJ)