Words and Wisdom of Jimmy Breslin
Pulitzer Prize-winning and hard working reporter Jimmy Breslin was interview last week by CUNY investigative report in residence Tom Robbins on the publication of his new book Branch Rickey by Jimmy Breslin at the CUNY Graduate Center (The old Harold Tribune building) . (Video)
Media, is the Plural of Mediocrity
Investigative Reporting Not Done Today's Reports Mostly About Opinions
I say as a reader your getting robbed . . . Go Out and report that is with two feet and go out and climb stairs . pay attent to what the guy said - shut up and listen. He was the first to report charges that a narcotics suspect had been tortured with an electronic stun gun while in police custody in Queens. He was also cited for sympathetic portraits of AIDS victims.
Lazy does not require any thought
Lazy suckers Reports did not cover aids or the 106th Pct. stun gun scandal. Breslin did and won the Pulitzer for his investigative reporting
"Branch Rickey Changed America By Putting the First Black Jacky Robinson in Major League Baseball" Breslin
Book review: 'Branch Rickey' by Jimmy Breslin (LA Times)
Don't Follow the Crowd - That is Death
"Don't go with the mob. Not going to be with everyone else the pack" On the morning of President Kennedy Funeral Breslin did not want to do the same column that hundreds of other reporters were writing so he when to Arlington Cemetery and interview the working class man who dug the grave for president. Digging JFK Grave Was His Honor
About Jimmy
Mr. Breslin, who was born in Richmond Hill, Queens, began his column in 1963 for the defunct New York Herald Tribune in a style that has been described as The New Journalism - borrowing in style from traditional fiction.
He wrote for The New York Herald Tribune from 1963 until 1966, for The Daily News from 1976 to 1988, and then for Newsday. His columns were peopled with the prominent, like Hugh Carey, the former governor, but also with shady characters with names like Sam Silverware, Larry Lightfingers and Jerry the Booster, and with normal New Yorkers struggling with crime, poverty and other urban and human ills.
More Jimmy "The Pekingese Press - Afraid of Everything"
"Newspapers Do Not Attack Politicians Enough"
Breslin could not name a columnist he reads today
Breslin Ran on the Norman Mailer Mayoral Ticket in 1969
"Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing columns for newspapers."
Jimmy Breslin
Jimmy Breslin
Clueless Press Allow Pols to Attack the Budget They Are Elected To Manage
We elect state legislators to manage the state budget, including the MTA That means that if high taxes and other policies are driving businesses and the middle class from our state, resulting in less state tax revenue it is their fault. In fact the state has cut the MTA budget during the last three years. Instead the press with no ability to analysis or institution memory to even remember the cuts to the MTA budget act a a copy machine allowing the pols to make impossible promises to the voters. State pols going off the rails with transit fare cut bills The mayor used the press to promised free crosstown buses during his last campaign * DiNapoli: Tax Collections Ended Year $926 Million Below Original Financial Plan Projections
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4Now the Council is Also Promising Free MTA Services
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| Free Crosstown Buses |
Members of our now slightly less dysfunctional state Legislature have introduced bills requiring the MTA to give free or reduced-price travel to more than 1 million additional New Yorkers - without providing an extra dime to make up for the lost revenue. College students would get at least 25% off. Senior citizens wouldn't have to pay at all. Off-duty fire marshals, off-duty police officers and retired cops would all get freebies. (NYDN)
Triangulation Continued: Council Blame the Mayor for Police Cuts Due to Reduced City Revenue . . What Role Did the Council Play In the City's Economic Meltdown?
The city council is just as responsible as the mayor for the poor state of the city's economy. Yet the press operates as a copy machine allowing councilmember to attack the mayor for police cuts. Quinn who it appears never reads the city tax and revenue reports said she was surprise about the need for the police cuts. She did not remember that NYPD Commission Kelly Testify last month before the council about the possibility to delay the hiring of the next police class. The City Council's leaders need to pay closer attention to their own proceedings (NYDN Ed), Public Safety Committee Chairman Peter Vallone and Finance Committee Chairman Domenic Recchia Speaker Christine Quinn collaborated in calling the move "rash and misguided" and complaining that Bloomberg had gone ahead without "any public discussion and without consulting the members of this Council." * 9/11: "There's been a huge increase in the number of disability retirements among firefighters since 9/11.
With the Police Department At It Lowest Level in 20 Years What Effect Will the Ticket-Fixing Scandal With the Large Amount of Officers Involved Have on Crime Fighting?
The trouble is "a practice that by all accounts has been around almost as long as the traffic laws.
Police Probe: Ticket fixing "almost impossible" today because of technology, says Bloomberg.
Big Inquiry Into Ticket-Fixing in New York An investigation could have serious implications because of the large number of officers believed to have participated, either by asking for a ticket to be fixed or by doing the actual fixing. (NYT) * Report: Up To 400 NYPD Officers May Be Charged With Fixing Tickets (NY1) * NYPD Ticket Fixing Widespread: Report(WNBC) * NYC man mistakenly slapped with 643 summonses * The Ticket-Fixing Scandal Story: a Chronological Analysis of the Scoop (NYO)
Tow Judges for Parking Permit Abuse
Feds Pressure Close Kruger Aid To Rat on the Family
Kruger aide climbed pay scale as feds closed in A top aide scrutinized in the federal pay-to-play probe that snared his boss, state Sen. Carl Kruger, is raking in a $162,442-a-year salary -- the highest of any staffer in the state Legislature
Pol predicts Veep Andy(Dicker, NYP)
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4Walcott and Handlers Pitch Good Guy Image Before the Teacher Cuts
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| Walcott's Pitch |
The PR Inoculation
The incoming schools chancellor kicked his charm offensive into high gear - and maybe overdrive - at a Bronx church Sunday, promising teachers in the congregation, "You will never, ever hear me say a bad thing about you." The roughly 30 educators in the congregation who joined Dennis Walcott on stage at the Harvest Fields Community Church reacted with cheers and relief to what they said would be a welcome change. (NYDN) * Walcott’s Excitement Shines As He Preps To Take Over (WCBS) * Brain gaining CUNY's scholars score big(NYP) * New York should follow Illinois' lead in ending last in, first out teacher layoffs (NYDN Ed) * Bid to split 'bad'-teacher tab (NYP) * But a bill introduced by the legislative Education Committee chairs at the request of state Education Commissioner David Steiner would require school districts and the teachers union to equally split cost of disciplinary hearings with Albany. Mayor Bloomberg does not approve.* The SED released a draft set of teacher evaluation regulations Friday. The Post does not approve. * School Custodians Can Earn More Than Teachers (WNBC) * Public be damned, again The regs are what outgoing Commissioner David Steiner and Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch have come up with to short-circuit Mayor Bloomberg's push to end seniority-based (Last in, first out) teacher layoffs.(NYP Ed) * Former Chancellor: "Cathie Black, a long-time regular client who's had a little bit of a bumpy ride as of late so let's give her some special attention," says GM at Michael's.
Your Fired is A Good Word?
New NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott promised teachers they would never hear him say a bad word about them.
New NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott promised teachers they would never hear him say a bad word about them.
More CityTime Computer Problems for the City?
Housing Authority techno-glitch costs some people their homes A computer screwup at the city Housing Authority has left New Yorkers waiting so long for crucial paperwork that some have lost their homes. The delays are due to a new $36 million computer system installed by the Housing Authority this year to manage its Section 8 voucher program. (NYDN) *NYCHA Computer Glitch Affects Section 8 Tenants (NY1)
Back to the Future: Construction Site Violence
Relationship between city's construction unions, contractors getting ugly (NYDN)
New Delay at Ground Zero(WSJ)
'Human error' blamed in JFK jet 'crash' (NYDN)
At Navy Yard’s Admiral’s Row, Battle Over Preservation(NYT)
Auto insurance frauds are driving up New York driver rates, community groups are fighting back (NYDN)
Today in El Diario: New Yorkers Shafted by Con Ed on "Green" Fund (Village Voice)
The search for a new Central Labor Council president is on, and Ed Ott won’t be returning as executive director because he’s starting a consulting firm with Rep. Anthony Weiner’s former spokeswoman, Marie Ternes.
Schneiderman cashed out to fund campaign (TU)
Campaign for Mayor 2013
A preview of the 2013 mayoral primary took place recently on the Upper East Side.
Bronx Democratic Party endorses Bronx D.A. Robert Johnson for re-election (CHN)
Dick Grasso Still Likes Ray Kelly For NYC Mayor (NYDN) * Grasso Itching To Take On Spitzer (YNN)
Tammany Party Boss Still Control the Ballot
Rick Lazio called the practice of using judicial ballot lines as a dumping ground for candidates who party leaders want off their ballot lines a “charade.” (He should know, considering it happened to him in 2010).
Bike lanes, bike lies The 'bicycle boom' is blatantly bogus (NYP)
Goodfellas? Try Gabfellas! Mobsters caught on tape schmoozing about everything (NYDN)
Law and Order
Officer and His Dog Play Key Role in Hunt for Remains (NYT) * Details Emerge In Gun Battle(WSJ) * School safety agent grabbed gun from wounded cop and exchanged fire with thieves(NYDN) * Off-Duty MTA Police Officer Shot, Wounded In Car Repair Shop (NY1) * Wounded cop: I'm no hero (NYP) * Officer Shot in Auto Shop Gunfight (Fox 5) * Mobster accused of slicing pizza king: I acted in self defense (NYDN) * Alleged Stabber Of Pizzeria Owner Charged With Attempted Murder (NY1) * Two women found fatally stabbed in Brooklyn apartment (NYP) * 2 Women Found Dead With Stab Wounds (Fox 5) * Off-duty cop shoots himself in the hand (SI Advance) * Injured restaurant owner hit with attempted murder rap in street knife fight (NYP) * Mom, daughter ID'd after fatal stabbing; police eye mom's boyfriend (NYP)
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Trump: Better Businessman and Richer Than Romney
Donald: I'm better for prez because my net worth's larger than Romney's (NYP)
LaGuardia Airport as the “third world
Donald Trump refers to LaGuardia Airport as 'third world', says he's bigger than Mitt Romney (NYDN)* 2012: Trump's real-or-not-real end zone is further than you think. "Candidates are given basically two chances to extend the deadline, which comes within thirty days of declaring candidacy, meaning Trump could stretch it out for months." * Trump: He's given to Democrats.* Donald Trump Responds To Karl Rove’s ‘Cheap Shot’: He And Bush ‘Gave Us Obama’ * Club For Growth Hits Trump For Liberal Record (YNN)
So Much for the Referees The Federal Election Commission has failed to rewrite regulations after the Supreme Court enabled unlimited corporate campaign spending. Talk about an invitation to corruption. (NYT Ed)
Chuck, Karl in street spat (Page 6, NYP)
Big Newspaper Chain Posts Bleak Quarterly Earnings
