Will the Millionaires Tax End?
Cuomo supporters and business owners are nervous that Senate Republicans, seeing few high-income earners in their upstate, rural districts and facing increasing pressure from labor unions, will reverse their pledge to let the so-called millionaires’ tax expire
GOP is the Weak Link in the Millionaires Tax Expiration
GOP jitters threaten Cuomo’s tax-cut vow (Dicker, NYP) Gov. Cuomo’s pledge not to raise taxes — and to let the widely backed “millionaires tax” expire — will face its toughest test yet when the Legislature reconvenes in January amid growing signs of GOP nervousness, insiders here agree. .@nygovCuomo won't call legislature back before January, reports @newyorkpost state editor Fred Dicker.
NYP's Memo to city Comptroller John Liu: It’s a bit late to start a coverup
Liu Invisible Contributors' High Noon
The Post wonders who will receive the $20,000 that Comptroller John Liu’s campaign said it would refund: the alleged “straw donors” or the “crooked financiers” who may be the real source of the money Begone, John Liu (NYP Ed) In a holiday-weekend news dump, Liu announced he was returning “in excess of $20,000” in illegal campaign checks he took from phantom “straw donors.” Liu’s next trick: returning that dirty money to donors who don’t even exist.
With Obama's Reelection Campaign and the Turner Results the Jewish Vote in Brooklyn is In Play for GOP
Ex-Councilman Simcha Felder may leave Comptroller John Liu’s office to run as a Republican for the new super “Jewish district” expected to be drawn up in Brooklyn, the Daily News says: * Is A Jewish Republican Seat Growing In Brooklyn? (Jewish Week) * Fidler or Felder, who will emerge victorious from the redistricting process?
Girlfriend to Testify at Trial(WSJ)
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NYT Joins True News in Attacking the Machine's Control Over the Queens Surrogate Court
True News Wags the NYT Big Time
A Court, Not Votes, Sustains a Political Machine in Queens (NYT) The Surrogate judge, Peter J. Kelly, appointed the public administrator, Lois M. Rosenblatt, who is a fierce and battle-tested elections lawyer, Democratic division. Ms. Rosenblatt reappointed the court’s counsel, who for about a millennium has been Gerard J. Sweeney. In 2010, Mr. Sweeney’s office pulled down $2.284 million administering estates. This year has been slower; through the end of October, his take was $993,764.
On July 14, 2011 True News Asked: Were Have All the Journalist Gone After Newfield
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| Newfield and Wayne Barrett |
Not since the death or old school investigative report Jack Newfield in 2004 has any reporter in New York covered how the corrupt Queens Democratic Machine use the courts as there personal bank. Today over a decade later nothing has changed. The new Queens Surrogate Kelly was like Nahman elected without a primary. Today's Queens Democratic machines still use the Surrogate Court as their personal bank. All that has happen has Crowley has replaced Manton. Crowley Bolz and Reich all receive most of the loot from the Queens Surrogate Court. The only difference is Newfield is long gone and the clueless, inexperienced and none caring corporate journalist of today report political gossip, don't do investigative pieces and only write about corruption when the U.S. Attorney indicts a pol.
Newfield Before Today's Corporate Hired Guns Reporters on the Corrupt Queens Democratic Mob
In 1998 Newfield reported that Frank Bolz III, chairman of the Queens Democratic Party's law committee, is the single biggest recipient of assignments from Nahman - collecting $178,050 for 47 paid guardianship appointments since 1992. Bolz is the law partner of Queens Assemblyman Joseph Crowley's father and brother. Gerard Sweeney, Manton's former law partner and campaign treasurer, is the current counsel to the public administrator - appointed by Nahman. Sweeney's law partner, Michael Reich, is executive secretary of the Queens Democ-ratic organization and has received 27 real-estate receiverships from nine differ-ent Queens judges. In 2000 Newfield wrote "The law firm of Queens Democratic Party leader Tom Manton has received more than $400,000 in court patronage since 1997. One partner -- Frank Bolz -- heads the party's law committee. Another, Gerard Sweeney, is counsel to the public adminis-trator. A third, Mike Reich, is executive secretary of the Queens party organiza-tion. They should apply antitrust laws to Manton's Monopoly." The rule is that a lawyer can get only one assignment of more than $5,000 during any 12-month period. Records show that lawyers like Batra, Bolz and Harvey Green-berg get a lot of assignments for $4,800 each.
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Daily News Says Looking at every ballot is huge waste of money
Department of Investigation must expand Board of Elections probe(NYDN Ed) * With a turnout of only 4%, the crew was able to slog through the work before their children grew up and got married. But think ahead. Next year, in a presidential election, New Yorkers will cast more than 10 times the number of ballots — well over 2 million. Assuming it takes 30 seconds to check a ballot, running through 2 million would take 1 million minutes, or 16,666 hours. Multiply by two — because a Democrat and a Republican need to do the checking together — and it totals 33,000 patronage hours of work.
Incumbents get help when challengers pop up from Board of Elections which is controlled by the county leaders. Most time those the BOE makes sure challengers cannot make it passed what the NYT called "not great" NY political parties ballot access rules. New York’s Especially Undemocratic Elections. The DN could have demand that the city's DOI commissioner Rose Gill Hearn stop delaying her investigation of the BOE former Commissioner Gonzalez's reported attempt to fix the ballot in a special election. City Hall News wrote in October 2010 that Gonzalez Firing, DOI Investigation, Could Ease Awaited Bloomberg BoE Power Play. The NYT also did not talk about how the same party rules give the party leaders control who become a Supreme Court Judge in the state. Or about all the corrupt coming out of party leaders selling access to their ballot lines.
Reports: Barney Frank to Retire (Roll Call) * Barney Frank Reportedly Won’t Seek Re-election(NYT) * $1 out of every $3 Barney Frank has raised over his career is from finance/insurance/real estate interests http://bit.ly/uXM2lk (Open Secrets.org) * Barney Frank’s best YouTube moments(Wash Post) * Who Will Replace Retiring Barney Frank?(Vanity Fair)
BEYOND INSIDER TRADING: Here's How Members Of Congress Get Rich Off Earmarks(Business Insider)
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5New York Unions Join the Supper PACS
Labor unions spent $400,000 to help Erie County Executive-elect Mark Poloncarz win on Nov. 8, but they didn’t give that cash to he candidate. Instead, they chose an independent expenditure – routine in federal politics, but relatively new at the state level.
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Top NYPD Witness Has Been Threaten and Told to Leave Town And PBA Jobs
Indicted NYPD in Ticket Fixing Want to Work for PBA
3 PBA bigs indicted in ticket-fixing scandal are fighting for paid leave to do union work (NYDN)
Ticket-fix witness warned to leave NY(NYP) Authorities have told a key informant in the Bronx ticket-fixing scandal to stay out of town for a while* Policing the Police Forty years after Frank Serpico blew the whistle on police corruption, New York lags behind other major cities when it comes to oversight of its crime-fighting force. (Gotham Gazette)
Primary Set for Towns Seat(WSJ) * Councilman Charles Barron, in announcing his candidacy for New York's 10th Congressional District yesterday, proved yet again that he knows his media audience well. Instead of shying away from recent controversies, Barron embraced them fully. During the speech, Barron pointed to the reporters in the crowd before announcing the most controversial statements, saying each time, "You're gonna like this one." These controversies included re-announcing support for his personal heroes Muammar Gaddafi and Robert Mugabe, as well as his broader opposition to Israeli foreign policy. Barron's campaign currently looks to be on a collision course with incumbent Congressman Ed Towns and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries.(CHN) * More on Charles Barron’s announcement (Capital) 5
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Corrupt Case May Lead to City Crack Down On Non Profits
The Bloomberg administration may revoke property tax exemptions of thousands of non-profits after four years of failing to verify which are legit and which are gaming the system (NYP) NY City: Our bad! Now pay Nonprofit crackdown * Questions about the city’s property-tax exemption rolls arose after the arrests of former city Correction Department chaplain Rabbi Leib Glanz and his brother Menashe on charges of stealing more than $200,000 in federal rent subsidies earmarked for low-income tenants.
In Newark, a More Welcoming Response to Occupiers(NYT) * The man who branded Occupy Wall Street is Canadian * Occupy Newark has unfolded with “disarming civility,” despite its gritty surroundings, and even received free coffee and doughnuts from Mayor Cory Booker. * Teflon Cops
In the last decade, New Yorkers broke with their past to laud police and scorn protesters. But after the crackdown in Zuccotti Park and charges of misconduct, some see signs of change.(Gotham Gazette)
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Baruch President: Freedom of Speech Not
Baruch to keep out students before vote...(NYDN) Baruch President Mitchel Wallerstein said students will only be granted access to the building for “urgent and legitimate needs” while the vote is taking place. * CUNY tuition slam 31% hike over 4 yrs(NYP) *Diploma deception (NYP Ed) * Barriers Set Up At Baruch Ahead Of CUNY Board Of Trustees Meeting(NY1) *CUNY Board Approves Tuition Hike As Three Protesters Are Arrested(NY1)
Who Will Sue the City Council For Making So Many Homeless and Creating No Jobs
City Council Expected To Sue Bloomberg Administration Over New Homeless Shelter Rules(NY1)
DN Says CUNY Community College Students Don't Get Much for Their Money
The News laments a recent report that shows over half of community college students in the city drop out before graduating, and worry that CUNY’s attempt to boost its investment in those schools may be too late:
Conduct Panel Calls Judge’s Campaign Lit Misleading(YNN)
PERMIT PARKING SPLITS BROOKLYN POLS: Forget about party lines and political allegiances – the prospect of residential permit parking in space-starved Brooklyn is dividing allies and uniting foes(CHN)
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Con Ed 10% hike a shock amid low US bills (NYP) New Yorkers were walloped with a 9.6 percent surge in their power bills last year, even though national electricity prices hardly budged
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The state Dept of Health and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli are slated to square off over a contract for a company that runs a Medicaid payment system and which DiNapoli says is inefficient.
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From Ashes of Olympic Bid, a Future Rises for the Far West Side(NYT) Hudson Yards, the development site on the far west side of Manhattan that sprang up in the wake of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s loss of the 2012 Summer Olympics bid, may soon have more office space than Baltimore or Portland
Heroes who saved infant in Thanksgiving blaze share stories(NYDN)
MTA’s bus cuts strain subways(NYP) * A case of Staten Island tunnel vision; Advance survey says most borough residents are on board for subway to Brooklyn (SI Advance)
With Blocks, Educators Go Back to Basics(NYT)
Just 36 days until the Iowa caucuses
Republicans challenging Obama with social media tools he pioneered in 2008 campaign (NYDN) * Gingrich Eager to Be More Than an Anti-Romney(NYT) * Newt Gingrich's chance to narrow GOP field (Politico) * The DNC has launched an all-out assault on Mitt Romney’s character with a new TV ad that will run in six key battleground states.* Mitt Vs. Mitt: DNC Releases Negative Attack Ad Depicting Romney As A Flip-Flopper * Ginger White: Herman Cain And I Were 'Involved In A Very Inappropriate' Relationship (VIDEO)(Huff Post)* Newt Gingrich's Slow, Steady Climb - Holly Robichaud, Boston Herald * Obama's Path to Victory Getting Narrower - Josh Kraushaar, Nat'l Journal
2012 = 1968? In 2008, Barack Obama lit a fire among young activists. Next year, Occupy Wall Street could consume him.- John Heilemann, New York Magazine* Newt Gingrich Wins Coveted (?) Bill Clinton Endorsement or Something (Wonkette) * Poll: Gingrich Still Holds National Lead(TPM)* 2012 = 1968? - John Heilemann, New York Magazine * he Future of the Obama Coalition - Thomas Edsall, New York Times *Romney Needs Early Knockout - Or Else - Ward & Blumenthal, Huff Post * The Misleading Attacks on Gingrich - Peter Wehner, Commentary * Union Leader May Give Newt a Boost - Scott Conroy, RealClearPolitics * Far-Right GOP Needs to Be Defeated - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
'He killed her dream': Italian student murdered in NYC apt.(NYDN)
Police Charge Manhattan Man With Two Violent Stuy Town Robberies(NY1) * Off-Duty Officer Subdues Passenger on Flight(WSJ) *Boozing JetBlue passenger busted by off-duty N...(NYDN) * Escrow Lawyer to Be Extradited(WSJ) * Crazed son fatally stabs mom as children watch(NYDN) * Veteran cop makes last bust(NYDN) * Cops: Kids see man kill his ma(NYP) * Coney Island cyclone of crime(NYP) * Stuyvesant Town On Edge Following Two Attacks On Elderly Men(NY1) * Two Bronx Firefighters To Be Honored For Nabbing Mugger(NY1) * Third Recent Armed Attack On Cabs Leaves Brooklyn Livery Driver Wounded(NY1) * New State DWI Law Largely Ignored (Staten Island Advance) * City Hopes to Combat Speeders with 'Slow Zones' (Staten Island Advance) * Police Charge Manhattan Man With Two Violent Stuy Town Robberies(NY1)
