Tuesday, January 3, 2012

State of the State Speech II The Albany War Continues

Santorum and Romney in Dead Heat(NYT)
Rick Perry says he will return to Texas to "determine whether there is a path forward."
Bachmann Stays in the Race
Ron Paul will stay in race
Newt Will Attack Romney

Breaking

NYPD Makes Arrest In Weekend Firebombing Spree(WCBS)

State of the State Speech II

The War Continues

Part I Cuomo Sunk Albany's Dysfunctional Battle Ships

Part II The Budget Deficit Cuomo to again pledge to close budget gap (now $2B after tax code reform deal) w/no new taxes, fees. The Post calls Cuomo’s tax hike on millionaires “a mistake,” but says he can avoid the “sophomore jinx” by tackling pension reform, mandate relief and hydrofracking. The Post also tells the gov beware of the “sophomore jinx” after his wildly successful rookie year, Gov to try again on no-tax vow(Dicker, NYP) * Andrew’s second year (NYP Ed) * Cuomo's State-of-State will be all about momentum(NYDN)*An analysis found 324 bills of the 14,000 introduced in Albany each year were perennial, keeping the same titles and same sponsors since 1995(TU) * In his State of the State tomorrow, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will call for lawmakers to build on the bipartisan cooperation they laid out last year in order to provide more jobs for New Yorkers.

NYT Against Campaign Slush Funds In Iowa, But Not About Slush Funds Given to A Corrupt Pol Like Seabrook

Last week both the NYP and Daily News Demanded that Speaker Quinn cut Councilman Seabrook's Member Items. Still no comment from the NYT on an action that can help cut the political crime wave going on in the city in which they publish. The Slush Funds of Iowa(NYT Ed) New and unlimited reserves of cash from so-called independent groups are bankrolling a constant stream of negative political ads.

Lobbyist Richard J. Lipsky Employee of Bruce Rattner and Briber of Convict Carl Kruger Takes Plea

Lobbyist Is Expected to Plead Guilty in Bribery Case(NYT) Is Lipsky going to talk about Forest City Rattner's Bruce Bender or other pols who pay to play with the Rattner evil empire built on government $$$?*Queens Hospital Executive Admits He Bribed Kruger(YNN)

Kruger Files For His Pension On the Day Hospital Executive Admits in Court He Bribed Him

Carl Kruger's pension application processed today, @NYSComptroller office says. DiNapoli uses opportunity to push pension forfeiture bill * Ex-hospital exec Robert Aquino admits bribery payments(NYP) * Ex-Hospital Exec Admits Bribery Payments to Kruger (NBC) Kruger puts in for his pension, DiNapoli is unhappy(TU) Kruger Files For Pension; DiNapoli Pledges Reforms(NYO)

Those Who Kruger or Lipsky Can Rat On

Tracking Snow Plows

New Yorkers to Get Real-Time Snow Plow Information(WNYC) Bloomberg says the city will be setting up a website so residents can track the locations of snow plows during snow storms. The city began installing GPS devices in snow plows after last winter's disastrous "Blizzard of 2010."

Train Games

Idle drivers play on holiday, agency pays(NYP)* Bus Drivers Paid While Playing Games(Fox 5)* The MTA decreased bus and train service last week to save money, but MTA employees spent the week playing chess and watching TV–at taxpayer expense.

Can the MTA stay on track in 2012? (Metro NY)

New York's Lost Subways Lines and Stations That Time Forgot(WNYC) * MTA benches ‘sluggo’ conductor (NYDN)

Cuomo All Controlling Facebook Reach Stopped

'Like Gov. Cuomo on Facebook' touts removed from state agency websites(NYDN) Government watchdogs "shocked" when links first appeared; Andy's spokesman said pol just wanted to expand his social media reach. The option was quickly taken down when The Daily News inquired about it.

Indicted, Out of Office Espada Still Fighting Cuomo

Supporters of Bronx health care network run by ex-pol Pedro(NYDN) Stormed the Westchester County hometown of Gov. Cuomo on Monday to protest the non-profit clinics being dumped from Medicaid.

NYPD Goes Rogue On Reporters

The Times’ Michael Powell says the NYPD is not abiding by Commissioner Ray Kelly’s directive to respect the media’s right to cover Occupy Wall Street demonstrations * Observations of a Jailed Journalist (WNET) * Zuccotti Park, Wall St. Bull Barricaded(Fox 5) * Occupiers evicted from Zuccotti Park protested Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer over the National Defense Authorization Act.

GOP To May Add Another Seat to Keep Majority?

State Senate Republicans May Try To Add A 63rd Seat, Dean Skelos Says(NYDN) * Assemblyman Jack McEneny, a key player in the redistricting process, discussed its timeline.

How Do You Investigate A Powerful Mayor's Staff?

Blackmail or A Crime?

The feds are investigating the claim of a former Bloomberg 2001 campaign worker who says she was sexually assaulted by a consultant in front of former Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler. The mayor’s circle rejects the story and says the woman is an extortionist.

To Local Pols Its Not About Teacher Evaluations But About the UFT is Campaign Machine

Local pols never question the UFT President Michael Mulgrew actions for fear the union working against them at election time.

Race to the bottom UFT’s selfish move on schools (NYP Ed) Last week, after months of negotiations, the teachers union refused to agree to a meaningful system for evaluating teachers in 33 struggling city schools. As a result, the state suspended some $60 million in federal grants meant for those schools. * NY1 Online: UFT’s Michael Mulgrew Discusses Teacher Evaluation Fight

Why is Koch's NY Uprising So Quiet At This Critical Time Pols Are Drawing Their Reelection Line? . . . Are They Taking A Dive?

Where Are the Lawsuits from the Good Government Groups or Newspapers. All Talk About Independent Redistricting No Action?

Times-Union calls Senate Republicans liars for rescinding their pledge to support independent redistricting, and urges Cuomo to call them on their bluff *Cap Campaigns Before Trying Public Financing (NYDN ED) DN: Albany needs campaign reform, but not ready 4 public financing

Iowa's Caucus Day Has Arrived

GOP trio in dead heat on Iowa caucus eve (NYP) * Frenetic Push as Campaign in Iowa Ends(NYT) * For Iowa’s Undecided, Time Is Running Out(NYT) * Iowa Race Down to the Wire(WSJ) * Political Middle Looks Up for Grabs(WSJ) * Gingrich decries negativity in campaign(Wash Post) * A Reader's Guide: Handicapping the 2012 Iowa Caucuses (The Daily Beast) * Ron Paul: I'm a Longshot (The Daily Beast)* Newt Gingrich: Shocking, Mitt Romney's a liar (Politico) * 2012 Iowa caucuses: The 6 counties to watch(Wash Post) * Michele Bachmann and Soledad O’Brien Tussle Over What A ‘Gotcha Question’ Is * WATCH: Rick Perry Challenges Politico(Huff Post) * Santorum on Romney: ‘We Cannot Put Up A Presidential Candidate’ Who Is Same as Obama on Healthcare(ABC)

RUPERT TWITTERS RICK...* President Obama’s approval rating is lower than his disapproval rating (Wash Post) * Nate Silver notes that the Iowa caucuses, which will be held tonight, are really all about expectations. * Welcome to the "Big Sifter": Iowa on Caucus Day - Michael Scherer, Time * Political Stars Align for Romney - Peter Wehner, Commentary * On Final Day in Iowa, Front-Runners Play to Bases - Erin McPike, RCP * Forget Winning, It's Best to Beat Expectations - George Condon, Natl Jrnl * Santorum & Paul Won't Be the Nominee - Charles Krauthammer, FOX News * After Iowa: A Viewer's Guide to What's Ahead - Susan Page, USA Today * Gingrich Concedes Iowa, But Says He's Not Out - Amy Gardner, Wash Post * Can Huntsman Pull a Santorum in NH? - Cannon & Huey-Burns, RCP * Romney's Highly Glaring Economic Achilles Heel - Charles Kadlec, Forbes * Election 2012: Decision Day in Iowa | Final Polls | Video Highlights * It's Now Time for Iowans to Act - Des Moines Register * Conspiracy Theorist Ron Paul Is Unfit to Be President - NY Daily News * Iowa caucuses: Newt Gingrich calls Mitt Romney a liar [Video]

Iowa: The Meaningless Sideshow Begins (The Rolling Stone) * Rick Santorum’s Iowa surge. Charted(Wash Post)

Fuck You, Iowa is Nice

The Bar is Getting Lower for CUNY Law Graduates

CUNY law grads losing ‘bar’ fight (NYP) Bar-exam pass rates for first-time test takers at CUNY have plummeted 16 percentage points in the past three years — boomeranging the school back to the bottom rank among New York’s law schools.

NYC settles $1.8M in claims for flooding, snow-removal damage after Christmas 2010 storm(SI Advance)

5

Hidden Costs of Illegal Immigration on the City's Health Care Costs

Nowhere to Go, Patients Linger in Hospitals, at a High Cost(NYT) Hundreds of patients, including illegal immigrants, who are well enough to be discharged have languished in city hospitals for months or years because there is nowhere to send them. * City hospitals are paying millions each year to continue treating patients well enough to be sent home but aren’t because they are illegal immigrants, lack insurance or appropriate housing

NY's Forgotten Poor Are Growing in Numbers

Welfare Lines Overflow(WSJ) The growing number of residents who rely on food stamps is creating bureaucratic headaches and dangerous overcrowding at the city’s job centers * NY1 Exclusive: Food Stamp Use At City Greenmarkets Flourishes During 2011

New York Marathon Raises Entry Fee, Citing Police Costs(NYT)

The Grid at 200: Lines That Shaped Manhattan(NYT)

Almost 100-year-old police demographic maps create an interesting perspective on the NYPD’s new demographics unit.

NYT Union Sends Staff Letter to Sulzberger

Who Signed

5

Breaking: Ray Kelly says NYPD is currently questioning a "person of interest" in the firebombing of Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Center Update: Suspect Confesses To Queens Firebomb Attacks

It's unclear what unites the four targets of the Queens firebombing

Man caught on tape firebombing Qns. Hindu temple, Islamic center(NYP) * Suspect in Firebombings Is Seen in Security Video (NYT) * Police Hunt for Suspect in Bomb Spree(WSJ) * Sketch Released In 4 Queens Fire Bomb Attacks, Police Investigate (WABC)

Authorities Release Sketch, Video Of Suspect In Queens Firebomb Attacks(NY1)

The Dumb Gun Seller

Reggie Allen from Columbia, SC jumped the subway turnstile after he could not figure out how to work the metrocard. He got caught with a couple of guns, including a machine gun he intended to sell here. MetroDunce was out to sell guns: DA(NYP)*Nab fare-beater as 1-man army(NYDN)

Law and Order

E. Village sex attack(NYP) * Priest accused of sex abuse honored at Marine Park church’s (NYDN)

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Other Views

On October 15, 1958, veteran broadcaster Edward R. Murrow delivered his famous "wires and lights in a box" speech (VIDEO) The Last Lion of Tammany HOW JIMMY McMANUS, MANHATTAN’S LAST GREAT TAMMANY DISTRICT LEADER, HELPED TO REVIVE HELL’S KITCHEN AND THE THEATER DISTRICT c By James S. Kaplan f On January 13, 2011, the law firm of Proskauer Rose moved into 11 Times Square, which is located on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. In moving west to the final building of the City’s Times Square redevelopment, the Proskauer firm joined such other major law firms as Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Covington & Burling, Roberts & Holland, and the advertising firm of Ogilvy & Mather. That such major professional firms, along with a number of newly constructed luxury apartment buildings on 42nd Street from ninth to eleventh avenue and trendy restaurants and off Broadway theaters would be located west of 8th Avenue in midtown would have been almost inconceivable fifty years ago. Tammany Last Stand Continued

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