3 Months in Office, and Cuomo Stands Out Among Peers for Low Profile(NYT)
Silver Takes Advantage of Mayor Falling Poll Numbers
Don't blame us for any layoffs, Sheldon Silver tells Mayor Bloomberg(DN) * NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg obviously disagrees. *Bloomberg Loses Budget Battle (Gotham Gazette) * Shelly to city: just like use your rainy days or whatever (Huff Post)
Public is Blaming the Mayor for Budget Cuts and Failed Economy
Helping Dig His Own Grave
Pols are paying attention to the accuracy of the Marist Poll which showed the mayor beating Thompson in 2009 by 16% a week before the election. They are using the mayor's falling public support to make him the go to guy to blame everything on. And the mayor is helping dig his own grave. After defending his friend Steve Ratner for pay to play with the New York pensions until him brought his way out of the scandal with a $10 million settlement with the state the mayor is not going after union worker who he says padded their pensions. Mike sics watchdog on pension abusers(NYP)
Where Was Bloomberg During the Snow Storm?
Bloomberg’s True Whereabouts During Blizzard Revealed (CHN)
Mayor's Falling Poll Numbers
New ads haven't helped; 40 percent say his performance is excellent or good.
Mayor Bloomberg's approval ratings dropping fast Mayor prepares to lay off more than 4,600 teachers and close 20 fire companies to balance the budget. (DN) * NY1 Exclusive: Mayor's Approval Rate Slides, Poll Finds * Third Term No Charm for Bloomberg (WNBC) * Sixty-five percent of voters disapprove of how the mayor is handling the schools, according to the poll. (WNYC) * Dissing Bloomberg: "I'm not having dinner with the owners of these newspapers in my mansion in the Upper East Side," said Ruben Diaz Jr. [Chris Bragg]
City Hall Steps Will Be Busy This Spring With Many Groups Protesting Cuts
"The state's cuts will be devastating," says Micah Lasher, a top Bloomberg aide
Mayor Bloomberg says new budget means police force must shrink(NYP)
Parks Workers Protest Budget Cuts(WNYC) *Parks commish plants semiretire idea for workers (NYP) * Court must not force city to pick up the federal and state shares of homeless assistance program (DN Ed) * School Funding: Poor district hurt. * City Budget: "We cannot afford the size police force, fire department, of any of these agencies if we have a $400 million deficit," Bloomberg said. [WNYC]
Con Ed Raises Rates
New York electric bills to soar 12%
NY Post wants Inspector General Ellen Biben to go after NYPA CEO Richard Kessel for past “shenanigans.”
MTA Cutting Services And Raising Salaries?
MTA Workers To Receive Raise (NY1)
The MTA's long battle to deny its workers a modest raise finally came to an end when the state's highest court refused to hear another round of legal arguments. More than 30,000 bus and subway workers will get a 3 % increase retroactive to Jan. 15. (NYDN)
More Pain Coming Soon From Albany
Rent Regulations * Property Tax Cap * Passing An Ethic Law? * Gay Marriage?
After an On-Time Passage of a Pared-Back Budget, Bracing for the Pain to Come (NYT) * After Budget Comes the Hard Part A batch of issues that have long simmered in the statehouse—but were moved to the back burner during budget talks —are about to flare. Some, like a cap on local property taxes and the battle over gay marriage, are among the most high-profile of Mr. Cuomo's unmet campaign promises. Others, like the debate over rent regulations, are urgent priorities for lawmakers. (WSJ) * LIFO: Skelos makes it a priority. * The fluidity of state aid formulas helped legislators obscure just how much funding they were able to restore in the new budget. (NCP) * The state is moving ahead with "step" or longevity-based raises for some 50,000 state workers, despite suggestions earlier this month that giving up the pay hikes could help trim the budget deficit -- and possibly avoid at least some layoffs. Cuomo earlier said he wanted to negotiate away the step increases, which go into effect today. (T-U) * Spitzer: Cuomo ‘Wrong’ On Millionaire’s Tax, Medicaid Reform (NYP)
Threats: Silver, Skelos and others were threatened in an email.
Threats: Also sent to journalists. State police investigating.
In Albany Pols Get Free Parking In Addition to Their $165 Per Diem Daily Expenses
You Paid For It: Some legislators park for free with police placard (CBS6Albany)
Carl Kruger The Gift That Keep Giving and Giving
Former hospital executive David Rosen indicted in Kruger corruption case
ACS aware of abuse of Major Gonzalez, Jashya Brown, Nixzmary Brown & Carlos Winbush before They Died
ACS Empty Promises
4 Year Ago the City Promised Reforms After the Death of Nixzmary Brown
Protecting Children: 10 abused children overlooked by ACS. * Report Says New York City Overlooked More Children in Danger (NYT) * ACS launching programs to spot troubles before they spiral into tragedy (DN) * ACS makes changes in wake of death of NYC girl (WABC) * Tragic tot off radar (NYP)
"All of us thought new thoughts and imagined new possibilities because of Gerry," said Hillary Clinton.
Even the Foreign Money Which Held Up the Manhattan Market is Falling
After Months of Growth, Signs of Weakness in the Manhattan Real Estate Market (NYT) * City Home Sales Hit Speed Bump(WSJ) * Over 50000 move to The Bronx since last census lured by affordable housing ...
Another Speical Interests Buys Their Way Out of A Criminal Fraud Investigation
Government Contractors Commits Fraud and Walks
Contractor Agrees to Pay $19.6 Million in Fraud Case Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc. committed fraud against government programs on more than a decade’s worth of public works projects, including the $1.4 billion Fulton Street Transit Center(NYT) * Skanska Pays Big Settlement (WSJ)
In Shadow of Yankee Stadium, 3 Unfinished Fields (NYT)
Medical tenants dig in their heels at St. Vincent's site (CrainsNY)
Justice Department officials have interviewed three lawyers in recent days for the delicate job of running the new government fund for sick Ground Zero workers. (WSJ) * Site Of Former Deutsche Bank Building To Be Used As 9/11 Memorial Welcome Plaza (NY1)
7-Month-Old Charter School May Be Closed The Kingsbridge Innovative Design Charter School has financial and management problems (WSJ) * Quakers and Elite School Share Uneasy Ground (NYT) * Shut out of high school 8200 Eight Graders(NYP)
Electronics makers now must recycle castoffs in NY(WSJ)
Bloomberg slams electric bill increase, calls higher costs 'hard on people' (NYP)
Law and Order Suspect Is Held After Cab Driver Wounded (WSJ) * Livery driver fighting for his life after getting shot in head by robber (DN) * Bronx Bystanders Help Catch Livery Driver's Shooter (NY1) * Cab Driver Shot, Robbed in the Bronx (Fox 5) * Livery cab driver shot, critically injured (WABC) * Bronx Bystanders Help Catch Livery Driver's Shooter (WNBC) * Top State Court Backs Findings of Retaliation Against 2 Police Supervisors (NYT) * Man Found Guilty in Fatal Shootings (NYT) * Reekin' of reefer (NYP) * Police Make Arrest In NYC Bus Slashing (WCBS) * Police search for man who attacked boy on bus (WABC) * Knights of Columbus safe stolen in Brooklyn (WABC) * Defendant in bizarre Staten Island arson, fecal rampage uncorks tirade (WABC) * Nakeema Craig shocked to find out that body of lover's grandmother was in closet (DN) * 20-year-old woman charged with statutory rape for sexual relationship with 13-year-old (DN) * The boy charged with bashing the teen is himself the son of a Muslim woman, his dad said. (NYP)* S.I. Student Charged With Assault Of Muslim Classmate * Staten Island school in headscarf glare circles the wagons (SI Advance) * Suspect in slashing aboard Staten Island bus ID'd in ER by 2 victims (SI Advance) * Li'l angry bird SI kid's fickle finger of 'hate' (NYP) * Man Charged In Shooting Of Livery Cab Driver (NY1) * Surveillance Video Released Of Suspects In Fatal Bronx Stabbing (NY1) * Queens Man Spared Death Penalty in Killings of Connecticut Jewelers (NYT)
The Huffington Post Media Group, as we introduce digital subscriptions for employees of The New York Times
A Word About Digital Subscriptions to The Huffington Post
News Corp, Time Warner & other media giants to start premium home movie rental service, upsetting theater owners
Comparing Recoveries: Job Changes (NYT)
Unemployment rate falls to two-year low of 8.8 percent, 216,000 jobs added
Chuck Schumer: On the phone, a lot. [Page Six]
* Wall Street still in gov't crosshairs (NYP)
Report Criticizes High Pay at Fannie and Freddie (NYT) * Report Cites Fannie, Freddie Executive Pay(WSJ)
