Does Comptroller Liu Need A Shrink?
Today's NYP called Liu both our terminally mendacious city comptroller and in a state of denial. They ask Liu to tell us more about matters that have to do with his off than his views on the state of the city. What the editorial does not state that a fund raiser Xing Wu Pan for the comptroller was indicted yesterday for illegally direct thousands of dollars into Mr. Liu’s campaign account. When NY1's Courtney Gross confronted the comptroller in the street yesterday he said he has not heard of Pan indictment. This might be possible if Liu lived alone and did not have a team of lawyer, press spinners and political advisers on his staff. Ever since the Pan problems became public Liu has run to hundreds of political events at which he smiled and told all the pols and community leaders how wonderful everything was. His State of the City speech today is a political attempt to keep him in the mayoral campaign. Any normal person would be sitting home in depression for missing his shot at becoming mayor after coming so close. So the question must be asked has the pressure of the job. Has our comptroller gone NUTS? Liu’s state of denial(NYP Ed) * After Funder Is Indicted, Liu to Speak(WSJ) * Liu wants big crowd at speech(NYDN) * Scandal-Marred Comptroller Promotes Tax, Pension Reform In State Of The City Speech(NY1) * NY1 Online: City Comptroller Liu Delivers First State of the City Address * Amid Run of Tough Press, Liu Aims to Cut Waste (NYT)
NYP Questions for Liu The NYP asked the comptroller to instead of his state of the city speech he should tell us the state of the investigation against him. Liu has returned about $50,000 in questionable cash. Was any of the illegal money match with city funds during the 2009 election? The NYP also want Liu to answer if the reason for his #2 Eric Eve was because of the influence campaign manager Chung Seto wields in his city office. The NYP also wants to know why his plan for city pension reform to save millions of dollars with retired city workers is DOA.
BREAKING - Federal judge has blocked NYC from enforcing its ban on religious services in schools. Churches get to use schools this weekend * Churches Win 10-Day Reprieve on Ouster From Schools(NYT)
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Toby Stavisky Works to Maintain Her Son Competitive Advantage
Toby son Evan makes millions getting his campaign mailers out in time for his clients. He has done very well with the Whitestone Post Office. In fact some of candidates running against Evan's candidates for some reason have their mail delivered after election day. John Messer had a lot of mailing problems when her ran against Tody in 2010. Toby Ann Stavisky says Postal Service is withholding study on closing Whitestone facility (NYDN) Stavisky appeals Postal Service’s decision to deny FOIA request * The postal service denied a FOIA request by Sen Toby Stavisky that requested details on why a local branch of the postal service was closing.
Morris Stays in Jail
Hevesi Crony Hank Morris Denied Parole(NYDN)
Clown Abuse Stops City Hall Bid
Marty Markowitz Staying Out Of Mayor’s Race To Avoid ‘Abuse’ (NYO)
NYT Ignores Undemocratic Redistricting to Distract
The Times then chastised Cuomo for “taking full advantage” of New York’s campaign finance system, even as he says he wants to reform it. On January 22, 2012 the NYT wrote As Closed-Door Redistricting Drags On, Incumbents’ Edge Only Grows. Today as NY is the only state in the nation not to have redistricted congressional lines the Times write an editorial about Albany election reform without mentioning the criminal redistricting that is going on in Albany right now. It the biggest steal an election in history The Times Union called it The geography of a sham * While We Wait for Reform (NYT Ed) The Times says Gov. Andrew Cuomo needs to act now to reform loopholes in a campaign finance system he is taking full advantage of. A pro-campaign finance reform group includes several big political donors, and one – Sean Eldrige – who hosted a fund-raiser last year with his fiancé, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, that raised several hundred thousand dollars for the governor.
The Media and Good Government Groups Ducking Redistricting At Crunch Times Controls Public Opinion
Q Poll (Take II): Redistricting, What’s That?(YNN) 67 percent said they have heard nothing about the new district lines
With Weighty Problems Under Control the Albany Bums Want Their Pork Member Items Back
New move for pork surfaces in Assembly (TU)After two years of going without member items, Assembly Democrats are quietly pushing to insert pork into this year’s state budget, but both Cuomo and the Senate Republicans are lukewarm to the idea*Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is moving to bring back member items (AKA “pork”), which haven’t been included in a budget since 2009.* Assembly Republicans send member item prebuttal(TU)
The Deadline Deals is Becoming Cuomo Brand
A source tells the DN an agreement is “pretty well locked down” between NYSUT and SED. It’s “possible” the UFT and Bloomberg administration will also have something to announce. Day of reckoning(NYP Ed) * Chalk up a deal!(NYDN) New York voters trust Gov. Andrew Cuomo more than the teachers union and support his school reform plans, but are “confused or disinterested” about redistricting, a new Quinnipiac University poll finds. *A.M. Roundup: A teacher evaluation deal(TU) * A new Q poll finds New York State voters trust Cuomo more than the teachers’ union, 50-38, percent “to protect the interests of New York State public school students.”
Teacher Evaluation Cuomo says he provided "encouragement" on the teacher evals.
Breaking New York City and United Federation of Teachers reach deal on teacher evaluations Agreement enables city to get millions in federal funds*Compromise Reached on Teacher Evaluations(NYT) * City, teachers union resolve dispute over evaluation system(NYP) * New York Reaches Deal on Teacher Evaluations (NYT*@gailnrobinson Bloomberg says plans to replace 50% of teachers at those schools will continue apace*Teacher evaluation video jukebox(TU)*NYU Prof. Diane Ravitch on today’s teacher evaluation deal: “This is a dark day for education in New York.”
Cuomo To DiNapoli: ‘Dont Handcuff Me’(YNN) That’s how the press-critic-in-chief sees the spat as it’s been covered between his office and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli over the budgetary powers and pension overhaul the governor is pushing in his $132.5 billion budget proposal.*Cuomo V. DiNapoli: "This Is Not Peyton Place"(NYDN)
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Why Don't Minority Lawmakers Minority Lawmakers Call for Additional Help Rather Than An End to Education Completion
Minority Students Are Competing Against Students in China Not Park Slope
Lawmakers Push For Cuomo To Reassess Competitive Education Grants(NY1) * Advocates say that poor schools are owed $5.5 billion by the state as part of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity ruling.
More than 2,300 same-sex couples have wed outside NYC since gay marriage became legal on July 24, 2011. They account for about 7 percent of the more than 34,000 unions that the state has recorded since that date.
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Why are Hospital Consultants Always Paid $2 Million
The late Assemblyman Tony Seminerio when to jail for collecting $2 Million as a hospital consultant
City Agreed to Pay $1.95 Million for 2 Hospital Consultants (NYT) The city Health and Hospitals Corporation paid almost $2 million to two Navigant consultants, one of them part-time, who were supposed to restructure medical staff to save millions of dollars * State to closely examine health insurers' hefty rate hikes (NYDN)
Department of Financial Services uses federal grant money to conduct audit
NYC Pols Crime Wave is Third Rate
Most NY Criminal Pols Go Unconvicted or Uninvestigated
Relief! New York is only the third most corrupt city in the nation. Chicago is number one.
Dominican Harlem
Redistricting Controversy Continues As Advocates Push for Dominican Congressional District(Village Voice)
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It Will Take 6 Months to Fire A Teacher Who Had Her Students Write Cards to Her Boyfriend in Prision
Teacher Should Be Locked Up
School ‘pen’-pal fury(NYP) Teacher had 10-yr.-olds mail jailbird beau * Teacher Alleged to Send Class Cards to Prisoner(WSJ) * Queens Teacher Had Class Contact Inmate Who Previously Faced Child Porn Charges (NY1) * Class sends handmade holiday cards to prisoner (NYDN) * Teacher accused of making students write to convicted f (WABC)
NYT Takes A Another Shot At Congressman Grimm
Problem is Nobody Reads the Manhattan Centric NYT on Staten Island Anymore
Congressman’s Business Ties Are at Odds With Upright Image (NYT) * Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm had a checkered record as a businessman after leaving the FBI, including working with a convicted former FBI agent, a troubled Wall Street firm and a restaurant with regulatory problems.
Snow Storm Goldsmith Biggest Scandal Was City Not the Snow Storm
Lawsuit: City's slow response during 2010 blizzard to blame for Gail Radvin's death (NYDN) Radvin waited nearly an hour for ambulance after suffering heart attack *
City Council Looks at Police Investigations Into Deaths of Bicyclists(NYT) * City Council Members Want NYPD To Crack Down On Reckless Driving(NY1)
Ambitions Rekindled at Public Library(NYT) After a pause because of the economic downturn, the New York Public Library on Wednesday revived its $1 billion plan to overhaul its branches and renovate its Fifth Avenue flagship.
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The Big Issue: Last two years are critical to Mayor Bloomberg’s legacy (NY Metro)
City will share names of NYPD employees at Ground Zero(AM NY)
Gary Carter R.I.P.
Male Hearing On Birth Control
Planned Parenthood tweets picture of all-male panel at hearing on birth control (The Hill)
At 9/11 Memorial, Police Raise Fears of Suicide(NYT)
NY nonprofit overhaul proposed(NYP) In tackling executive compensation, Schneiderman is treading on @NYGovCuomo's turf. Change-up!
City & State Chinatown Residents Cannot Watch Lin While People Who Live in South Korea Can
Linsanity could force a detente in the MSG-Time Warner Cable war
Chinatown Cheers, but Can’t Watch, Adopted Star (NYT) Many fans in New York cannot see Jeremy Lin on television because Knicks games have been blacked out in a cable dispute between Time Warner and MSG Network. * Jeremy Lin Powers MSG's TV Ratings (WSJ) Perhaps MSG doesn't need Time Warner Cable after all. Nearly seven weeks into a blackout dispute, the sport network's ratings are soaring thanks to Knicks star Jeremy Lin. * Ecstatic Taiwanese claim Knicks' Lin as their own(WSJ) * “We are involved in the process and I’m optimistic the parties will reach a resolution,” AG Eric Schneiderman said of his effort to end the stalemate between MSG and Time Warner Cable.
Election 2013
Who’s Really Behind Dogs Against Romney?(NYO) * Mitt Romney grabbed the endorsement of the governor of Michigan. * Challenges for Romney in "Home State" of Michigan - Scott Conroy, RCP * Romney Faltering with Working Class Voters - Alan Fram, Associated Press * Obama Courts the New Digital Elite - Joel Kotkin, The Daily Beast * Romney Surrogates Attack Santorum's Record - Ashley Killough, CNN * Is Romney Going to Run Out of Money? - Zeke Miller, BuzzFeed * Obama's Vision vs. Clint Eastwood's - Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal * Michigan (Detroit News): Santorum 34, Romney 30, Gingrich 12, Paul 9 *Santorum Tells of Strict Opposition to Bailouts(NYT) * In Michigan, Romney Criticizes Unions (TU) * @DCCC: "Romney dropped scandal-plagued @RepMichaelGrimm from his delegate team..." * Santorum Supporter Says Aspirin Between the Knees Is an Effective Form of Birth Control(NY MAG) * CNN Cancels GOP Debate(Huff Post)
Jon Stewart (And His Hilarious Lieberman Impression) Blast Congress For Insider Trading
Iran and NY Terrorism
Tehran bomb scares(NYP) * Senator Schumer Asks Secretary Clinton To Review Iranian Government Employees In USA(NY1)
Azi Paybarah 
Chief Judge On Youth Crime
A smarter tack on young crime(TU) The Times Union strongly agrees with Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman’s proposal to punish 16- and 17-year-olds who commit non-violent crimes less severely than their fully adult peers
Hero cop ‘relieved to be home alive’ (NYP)
Law and Order
