SOS: A Safe 2012
Keep to the RoadAndy has a lot of reasons to play it safe as 2016 nears(Dicker, NYP) Cuomo dialed back the sweeping promises of tax cuts and spending restraints that defined his first year in office yesterday with a big-on-rhetoric, modest-on-proposals State of the State Address that won’t do anything to threaten his 70 percent approval rating. Cuomo, to his credit, emphasized something rare for a New York Democrat, the creation of tens of thousands of private-sector jobs through the leveraging of public spending on roads, bridges, an upgraded Javits Center complex and, most dramatically, a $4 billion convention center — the largest in the nation — at Aqueduct. Cuomo’s speech, which called for billions of dollars of spending on infrastructure projects, was designed to bolster his support among the state’s powerful but shrinking construction trades. A Post editorial dubs the speech “long on self-congratulation and short on detailed policy prescription" * APNewsBreak: NY's $25B jobs package based on hope(WSJ)
Iowa 2016 Cuomo joked in an interview with the New York Times about being in Iowa in four years for the next presidential caucuses, but noted he wouldn’t be doing what he is doing now if he were thinking of running for president
Cuomo Nuts and Bolts Budget: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Convention Disagreements and Hydrofracking
CapitalTonight Capital Tonight (Twitter) A Cuomo spox would not directly address why the gov skipped over the Bloomberg Does Not Like to Take Public Shots . . . Look for Others or News Stories to Blast the Gov's Plan
Mayor Bloomberg and Cuomo are again at odds, this time over the governor’s call for an end to the city’s practice of fingerprinting foodstamp recipients. Bloomberg Snipes At Cuomo's Food Stamp Proposal(NY1) * Mayor Bloomberg and Gov Cuomo fight over food stamps program (NYDN) * Another New Idea for the Javits Center(WSJ) Javits is completing a $500 renovation. * Cuomo’s New York City Agenda Freezes Out Bloomberg (CAS)
1. A judge slammed the breaks on the city’s controversial plan to build housing at Williamsburg’s Broadway Triangle Wednesday. Opponents charge the project favors Hisidics over black and Latinos. A few years back Lopez supported the areas blacks ad Latinos against the Hisidics.
Bloomberg Bounces Vito's Long Time Partner in Crime
2. Assemblyman Vito Lopez’s campaign treasurer and longtime director of his Ridgewood-Bushwick social services empire has been told by the Bloomberg administration to leave by Jan. 15 or risk the loss of $69 million in contracts for the group. Vito’s golden girl gets booted by city(NYP) The longtime director of the Ridgewood-Bushwick social-services empire, one of the largest and most powerful such agencies in New York, has been handed her walking papers by the city, The Post has learned. Christiana Fisher’s departure would be a blow to Lopez. She’s been with him since Ridgewood-Bushwick was formed nearly 40 years ago and now serves as his campaign treasurer
Indictment Boyland Will Look Like He Is Doing His Job
Boyland's Reelection Campaign has Begun
Assemblyman Boyland Jr. vows to promote bills while facing corruption charges (NYP) Late last month, Brooklyn federal prosecutors charged Boyland and his aide, Ry-ann Hermon with soliciting more than $250,000 in bribes in exchange for fast-tracking development projects and vowing to help a carnival company. Last year when Boyland was indicted and cleared under different charges the assemblyman did not introduce a single bill and was absent 33% of the time. * Brooklyn Legislator Pleads Not Guilty in Latest Bribery Case(NYT) * Kruger pal sez sorry for bribes (NYDN)
What Did Bruce Rattner Know and Do?
Feds Must Find If the High Fees Paid To Lobbyists Are Intended for Bribes
Lobbyist Pleads Guilty to Paying Bribes to a State Senator(NYT) Prosecutors charged that over several years, Mr. Lipskyhad shared lobbying fees with Mr. Kruger in return for the senator’s actions on matters about which Mr. Lipsky had been paid to lobby. A major client of Lipsky, a large one, was a real estate developer that has been identified in news reports as Forest City Ratner.
Media Only Reports on the Pleas Ignores Others Involved
The NYT mentioned Rattner' Forest City real estate company as one of Lipsky's clients but did not say what Kruger did for them or who was involved with them. * Lobbyist Lipsky Admits to Bribery(WSJ) * Lobbyist Linked To Kruger Pleads Guilty In Bribery Case(NY1)
Lipsky was Ratner's Forest City 2nd Lobbyist Bribery Indictment in A Year
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Developer of Major New Rochelle Project, Forest City Ratner, Bribed Yonkers Official Sexy Sandy Annabi, U.S. Attorney Charges (Talk of the Sound)
A Forest City Ratner executive whose cozy relationship with state Sen. Carl Kruger is featured in a new criminal complaint against the Brooklyn politician personally lobbied a Yonkers councilman hours before a controversial vote that later led to bribery charges against a councilwoman. Yonkers Council Majority Leader John Murtagh Jr. said FCR Vice President Bruce Bender leaned on him in 2006 to change his expected vote opposing a controversial FCR development. Kruger crony leaned on me for vote: pol
Bruce Bender, an executive with the development company Forest City Ratner who came out of Kruger's Thomas Jefferson club, was pressing him for $15 million in state funding for three Brooklyn projects. Mr. Kruger said he would get back to him. Half an hour later, he checked with his aides, found out he had $500,0000 left over at his own discretion, and told them to give it to the company for a project at Prospect Park. “I love you,” Mr. Bender said a few minutes later In a Series of Phone Calls, an Ear Into a Federal Corruption Case * Atlantic Yards Efforts in View in Kruger Case(WSJ) * "I Don't Mind F-king The Bridge."(Develop Don't Destroy) *WSJ, regarding Kruger case, goes easy on FCR's obligation to rebuild bridge, reveals unmet request for additional city housing subsidy (Atlantic Yard Report)
Asian-American Community Struggles With Liu Controversy(NY1)
Brooklyn DA Investigates Wyckoff Hospital Relationship With Caribbean Medical School
Prosecutor in Brooklyn Investigates Hospital(NYT) The Brooklyn district attorney’s office is looking into management practices at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, focusing on the relationship between hospital officials and a Caribbean medical school.
Judge Addresses Defense Lawyers In NYPD Ticket-Fixing Case(NY1)
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Showing No Moral Leadership Quinn Continues to Fund Seabrook
NYT Interview Become A Quinn Mayoral Spin
Quinn Ignores the demands of the NYP, Daily News and mayoral candidate Tom Allon that she not fund Seabrook's member items until his retrial for using the funds for himself, family members and his girlfriend. NYT reporter Kate Taylor did not ask Quinn any questions about if it war morally right to give government funds to someone who distributed them to his family and mistress.
Taylor was satisfied with Quinn's spin that her reforms would that from happening again. Taylor could have also asked Quinn if it was right to fund Vito Lopez's political machine the Bushwich Senior Citizen Center with member items $$$. Taylor show how the NYT is spinning for Quinn when she ask the speaker about what she would do to end the deadlock between the teacher union and the city. Quinn answers that she would lock them a room until they came up with a solution, not what her policy would be on teacher evaluations. Where is the leaderships Quinn Stands Behind Decision on Seabrook Funds (NYT)
Special Election is All About Dates and $$$
Rumors abound in south Brooklyn that the special election to fill convicted former Sen. Carl Kruger’s seat will be held March 20, along with the elections for several vacant Assembly seats. City Councilman Lew Fidler, the presumptive Democratic candidate, and David Storobin, the presumptive Republican, both said they had heard the rumor but could not confirm it. The timing is up to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose spokesman Joshua Vlasto shed no light on the date. It would be cheaper to hold those special elections April 24, the same day as New York’s presidential primary – but that would guarantee a larger Republican turnout. * The leading GOP candidate in the race, David Storobin, was interviewed by the Jewish Press.* Dov Hikind is Unsure About Backing in Special Election to Replace Kruger(NYO)
NYS Young Republicans Push for A Special Election to Fill the Kruger Seat
UFT President Needs A Rescue
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew is adding his voice to those who want Cuomo to intervene in the impasse between the union and the city Department of Education over teacher evaluations. “The people I’m negotiating with have publicly come out and said they won’t negotiate,” Mulgrew said. “It’s not about the facts anymore.” The state Education Department cut off $60 million in federal funding to the city and nine other school districts over the failure to reach a deal by the end of the year. Cuomo excoriated both the union and school officials yesterday for failing to set up an evaluation system, and Mulgrew says he understands the governor’s frustration. City schools spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz said five months of negotiations broke down because the UFT demanded additional protections for ineffective teachers: “That cost city schools $60 million, and frankly showed that the unions were never really committed to meaningful teacher evaluations.” * Both Sides Hang Tough on Teacher Evaluations(NYT)
Dov Hikind is Unsure About Backing in Special Election to Replace Kruger(NYO)
Hailing the Wrong Taxi (NYT Op Ed) The plan to retrofit taxis to make them wheelchair accessible is expensive and inefficient. There’s a better way.
A longstanding gay club accused the State Liquor Authority of trying to put it out of business over two minor violations out of a desire to gentrify the area around the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan.
Greenwich Village Residents Plot Next Move In Battle Against NYU Expansion(NY1)*NYU Expansion Opponents at Town Hall8 hrs ago
Election 2012
Romney Takes a Victory Lap as Santorum Plays Catch-Up(NYT) * After Child’s Death, a Politician Became a Cultural Warrior(NYT) * After Iowa, Romney a Heavy Favorite - Karl Rove, Wall Street Journal * Why Won't Romney Embrace Reaganomics? - Paul Hoffmeister, Forbes * GOP's Search and Destroy Mission - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post * Santorum's New Image Worked in Iowa - Robin Abcarian, Los Angeles Times * No Way Romney Camp Can Put Lipstick on This Pig - Michael Walsh, NYP * GOP Race Headed Toward Predictable Romney Win - Adam Sorensen, Time * Beware of Obama's Incumbent Advantage - Ross Baker, USA Today *
Time magazine’s cover asks if you like Mitt Romney yet. * Obama Camp Braces for Matchup With Romney - Alexis Simendinger, RCP * Impetus for a Third-Party Movement - Fergus Cullen, New York Times * Mitt Romney Out of Control - Dana Milbank, Washington Post * Anatomy of Romney's 30,015 Votes in Iowa - Sasha Issenberg, Slate * Obama Chooses Politics Over Principle in Naming Cordray - Bloomberg * Romney Struggles to Capture Energy of Tea Partiers - Chicago Tribune * GOP Must Get Comfortable With Romney's Moderation - NY Daily News * Michael Tomasky: South Carolina Showdown for Romney and Santorum(The Daily Beast) * Ron Paul raised $13 million in the last quarter. * Jon Huntsman’s latest ad says, “We’re getting screwed as Americans.” * Jon Huntsman Wins Major Newspaper Endorsement * Santorum gets big poll bounce in N.H. Romney still dominant(Wash Times)
Zuckerman Hires Murdoch Insider Who Informed James Murdoch About the Hacking Scandal to Run the DN
Colin Myler: taking on Murdochs in tabloid war will be fun(Guardian)
New York Daily News Names Shocking New Editor-In-Chief(Huff Post) In September, Myler appeared in front of Parliament's committee investigating the phone hacking scandal with former News of the World lawyer Tom Crone. Myler and Crone told Parliament that they had informed News International head, James Murdoch, that phone hacking was widespread at the paper. Murdoch has vehemently denied this accusation.
NYT_JenPreston Jennifer Preston (Twitter) Weird. NY Daily News did not report today that it has a new 
WATCH: Off-duty cop wearing Rangers jersey beaten by Flyers Fans(NYP) * Beaten Rangers Fan Was Off-Duty Cop, War Vet(NBC)
Bomb Defendant at Bellevue(WSJ)* 
Queens bomb susp: I wanted to kill Muslims(NYDN) * Alleged pyromaniac needs psych evaluation, judge(NYDN)
Accused Killer Said 'Sorry' After Arrest(WSJ) * Conflicting Accounts Emerge In Killing Of NYPD Detective (NY1) * No furlough for cop killer(NYDN) * Accused cop killer "sorry" after Figoski slay(NYDN) *Court papers: NYPD officer shooting suspect sorry(WABC) * Accused Cop Killer: It Went Wrong, I'm Sorry(NBC)
NYPD hunting violent snatch-and-grab team in Bronx and(NYDN) * Suspects wanted for several Bronx muggings(WABC)
Law and Order
Staten Island priest helps feds in mob case(NYDN) * Murders in the Bronx spike, with 20 more people dead and 50 more shot last year than in 2010 (NYDN) * NYC employee arrested for allegedly selling drugs in front of residential building in Queens(NYP) * 7-Second Bandit ticks on(NYP) * Bank heists soaring(NYP) * Wrist-slap outrage Their loved-one’s hit-and-run killer got only 60 days jail * Woman faces rapist in court after he framed her(WABC) * Police search for hole in the wall burglar(WABC)
