Bill Hammond writes that a Citizens Union report shows “the powers that be have so thoroughly rigged the game for their own advantage, most members of the Legislature routinely return to office every other year after elections that have been reduced to Soviet-style jokes.” (DN)
Yesterday NYT Joins True News in Attacking the Machine Control Over the Queens Surrogate Court
The Incomplete NYT, Part I
A Court, Not Votes, Sustains a Political Machine in Queens (NYT) The NYT is wrong in it theory that the surrogate court sustains the Queens machine. There are other factors that allow Crowley to stay in power. The Board of Election and NY'S corrupt election law help the Queens boss stay in power. Both knocking off opponents to incumbents and doing favors to citywide candidate like de Blasio. With the help of pressure from Crowley and the other of the city's political boses the BOE restored the Public Advocate on the ballot in 2009 * de Blasio Back On The Ballot | New York Daily News
This is what True News Said About How the BOE Protects the Political Machines Last September 18th 2011
The Real Problem With the BOE is that It Acts As A Gatekeeper Protecting the Machines Incumbent Pols
College student Justin Wax Jacobs was knocked off the ballot on a technicality this year so a machine backed candidate could run without democratic opposition. Jacobs somehow gathered 1,600 signatures in six days to run as an independent. Yet even though he posed no real threat to Mayersohn's chief of staff Michael Simanowitz, Queens Democratic election lawyer Frank Bolz was on hand at a Board of Elections hearing Tuesday to make sure Jacobs was thrown off the ballot. Challengers after challenger each year is either knock off the ballot or has to spend a large amount of campaign cash and time to remain on the ballot.
The NYT Has the Power to Change the BOE All They Need to Do is Demand DOI do Its Job
NYT Says the Executive Director of the BOE Quit
Head of Board of Elections Fired One Week Before Election (WNYC) Sources at the Board of Elections say Gonzalez was fired over irregularities that initially appeared on the ballot of a special election in Queens for the City Council seat in the 28th district. His lawyer is Stanley Schlein who runs the Bronx county and helped Bronx DA Johnson win and residency case against him the first time he ran for district attorney. Schlein is also represented the losing bidder for new voting machines that the BOE brought last year and is now being investigated by the feds.
The ballot in question had all of the candidates lined up one slot to the right of where they should have appeared. For example, the name of the first candidate on the ballot slot, Democrat Reuben Wills, was listed under the slate of Republican candidates. However, the ballot that voters will receive on November 2 has been corrected. The issue is still under investigation by the New York Department of Investigations. Tammany Hall Board of Election Control Goes On and On (True News)
5
5
5“Did you say you gave him cash because that’s what he asked for?” “I do not recall that”
Mistress memory at a loss(NYP) Stuns feds by denying kickbacks to Seabrook. Jones-Grant even denied confessing the alleged kickback scheme to federal investigators just last month, insisting: “I don’t recall saying that.” The unexpected testimony — which visibly startled prosecutor Brent Wible — marked the second time a prosecution witness veered off script after being called to testify against Seabrook. On Day One of the Manhattan federal court trial, boiler-company owner Leon Eastmond denied any “quid pro quo” involving about $50,000 he gave Seabrook’s political club and that Seabrook helped him land a lucrative contract for the new Yankee Stadium.* Woman Gave Councilman Part of Her Pay, She Testifies(NYT) * Seabrook's Ex-Girlfriend Testifies About 'Cash'(WSJ)
Boyland Indicted Again
State lawmaker charged with soliciting bribes (Crains) * Feds arrest Brooklyn assemblyman on new $250K bribery charges(NYP)
When You Can't Create Jobs or Attract New Business the Council Sues to Make It Look Like They Are Helping the Unemployed
PR Move to Help Quinn Show Distance From Her Puppet Master Mayor - The NYC Council is preparing to sue Mayor Bloomberg for the first time during Speaker Chris Quinn’s six years in office Quinn homeless suit vs. Mike(NYP)*City Council Plans Suit Over Homeless Policy(NYT) * Quinn bucking mayor on homeless (NYDN) * City Council Expected To Sue Bloomberg Administration Over New Homeless Shelter Rules(NY1)* Council Considers Court on Homeless Plan(NBC) * Quinn Leads Lawsuit Against Bloomberg Over Homeless Shelter Policy (NY1) * Report: Recession cost NYS 500K jobs (TU) * Report: N.Y. wages, job openings sink
Daily News Says Charter School Protesters Are Hurting Children
Foes of proposed Brooklyn charter school put kids last(NYDN Ed)* State plans 4-hour tests for studentsNYDN)
CUNY: The Poor Man's Harvard
The violence and chaos that cops expected from a student protest outside a meeting of the CUNY Board of Trustees yesterday – where members approved a $300 tuition rate hike – never materialized CUNY ups tuition(NYP) *Amid Protests by Students and Others, CUNY Trustees Vote to Raise Tuition(NYT) * CUNY Students Protest(WSJ) * Student outrage at CUNY over tuition hike(NYDN) CUNY Board Approves Tuition Hike As Three Protesters Are Arrested(NY1)
5
5
4
5
Mostly Black Students Arrested in NYC Schools
Arrests in City Schools Affect Mostly Black Students (WSJ) School-safety officers at the city's middle and high schools made 63 arrests during a 43-day period last spring, and the majority of those arrested were African-American students. * 1 student a day arrested in public school(NYDN) * Police Release Quarterly Report on School Arrests(NYT)* New York City school safety officers arrested 63 students between July and September – or about one per day. The arrests were for violations ranging from disorderly conduct to felony assault
5
5
5Albany's Not So Hidden Electric Rate Tax Hurts
Albany con job(NYP) New Yorkers suffered a 9.6 percent spike in electric rates last year — even as average costs nationwide stayed flat. The real blame starts in Albany, where the Legislature imposed a 500 percent hike on a hidden utilities tax that’s been driving up costs for two years now. * ConEd Charges NYers More Than Double The National Average(Huff Post)* The Post blames Albany for the recent spike in electric rates, arguing that more power plants would spur competition and lower costs for consumers
NY'S Hotel Tax Dodgers
NYC hotels raking in money, but dodging taxes(NYDN) * Audit Finds City Hotels Avoid Paying Occupancy Taxes (NY1)*Almost 100 hotels and hostels owe the city a total of $8.9 million in unpaid taxes and fees, and many have failed to appropriately register with the city, a new audit by Comptroller John Liu reveals
How Brooklyn Got Its Groove Back (City Journal)
NYC Food Cart Vendors Issued 13,000 Tickets In 2010, Paid Only 400(WCBS)
5
5
5
5
A group appointed by Cuomo called for a number of new powers, including the ability to replace executives of private hospitals
Cuomo attempts to control wild spenders like hospital boss RosenRosen, Ex-Hospital Chief, Convicted of Trying to Bribe ...
Panel Urges Sharp Change for Hospitals in Brooklyn(NYT) * Council Moves to Stop Shelter Policy(WSJ) * Panel Seeks Hospital Reforms(WSJ)
The WSJ dubs state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli “Horatio at the tollbooth,” and says the union-backed Democrat must reject any attempt to use pension funds to reconstruct the Tappan Zee Bridge.* Cuomo “appeared to backpedal” when he said the state pension fund is, in fact, not under consideration as a source of infrastructure funding, writes the WSJ’s Jacob Gershman.
Gingrich Wields History, Seeking to Add Chapter(NYT)
fivethirtyeight Nate Silver (Twitter) The Gingrich surge is turning into a Gingrich bubble at Intrade. He's up to 32% there, was at 14% a week ago. Mitt Romney’s campaign is trying an old trick: Using Hillary Clinton against President Obama.* Gingrich Not a Credible Nominee - Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post * GOP Proves They Favor the Wealthy - Michael Tomasky, The Daily Beast * Is Barney Frank a Bellwether for Dems? - Aaron Blake, Washington Post * "In New Hampshire, Gingrich has 27% to Romney’s 31, putting them in a tie once the margin of error is considered" * Cain Off the Tracks (Political Wire) * Gingrich says he’s ‘a lot more conservative’ than GOP rival Romney (The Hill)
Barney Frank, a Top Liberal, Won’t Seek Re-election(NYT) * House Will Be Duller Without Barney Frank - Michelle Cottle, Daily Beast * Barney's Bubble - James Antle, The American Spectator
Stephen Colbert On CNN iReporters: ‘This Bold Move Will Help You Get Rid Of Your Remaining Viewers’
Celebrities Point Fingers at Murdoch(NYT) * Murdoch Employees Might Have Hacked Government Computers, Bullied 13-Year-Old Singer(NY Magazine) * Report: Government Secrets Hacked by News International (The Daily Beast)
Jail No Fine
The S.E.C.’s Enabling(NYT Ed) A Federal District Court judge rightly rejected a deal by the government to settle a securities fraud case against Citigroup. * US District Court Judge Jed Rakoff rejected the SEC’s $285 million mortgage fraud settlement with Citigroup, saying he couldn’t determine is was “fair, reasonable, adequate and in the public interest.”Steve Rattner Agrees to $10 Million Settlement in Kickback Suit ...
Law and Order
B’klyn ‘sex kidnap’ ordeal(NYP) * Mother’s ‘killer’ a psych job(NYP) * $680,000 drug bust in Queens(NYP) * Cab thief catches hail of a break (NYP) * Woman tried robbing store with toy penguin (NYDN) * Livery driver shot 3 times in Brooklyn(NYDN) * 3 acquitted in death of teen (NYDN) * Authorities Seek Answers After Italian Student Found Stabbed, Strangled In Harlem(WCBS) * Livery Driver Shot In Brooklyn Attempted Robbery Expected To Survive(WCBS) * Hunter College student murdered in Harlem(WABC)
Terrorism U.S. Opposes New Trial in Arms-Dealing Case(NYT)
