Running For Mayor After Your Friend Cashed In On You Being Speaker
An Inept Attempt By the NYT To Clean Up Issues That Will Be Used By Her Mayor Opponents
Will Lobbyist Emily Giske Will Become NYC's Jack Abramoff?Quinn Friendship May Pose Test in Mayoral Bid(NYT) Quinn, the City Council speaker, is close friends with Emily Giske, a lobbyist, and the relationship will be tested ahead of the 2013 mayoral contest. * Lobbying City Hall is a significant business for Ms. Giske’s firm, Bolton-St. Johns. In recent years, the company has reported earnings of $2 million to $3 million annually while lobbying the city government, billing its clients nearly $15 million in the six years since Ms. Quinn was elected speaker. Quinn blocked paid sick day measure supported by Council members, benefiting fast-food joints repped by Giske firm. Giske is vice-chair of the New York State Democratic Party and was elected to the Democratic National Committee.
NYT Did Not Get Into How Much Money Giske Clients Contributed to Quinn's Campaigns
The Highline on of Giske's many clients has given Quinn Big Bucks Christine Quinn gives your cash to West Side project - and gets campaign money (NYDN) Quinn Funded the High Line Through the Slush Fund and Got Campaign Contributions From Developers Whose Property Values Shot Up By the Building of the Trendy Park * Eight members of Friends of the High Line board contributed a total of $18,775, according to city campaign finance records.
Quinn Pay to Play Friend Giske and the Taxi Industry Nets Her Campaign $$$ To Limit Pedicabs
Quinn Wielding Her Clout in Contest Over Pedicabs - The New York Su * In 2006, the taxi committee, which represents taxi medallion owners, paid Bolton-St. Johns $98,000 to lobby the council on a variety of issues, including the pedicab bill to limit the number of pedicabs on city streets. In 2011 Quinn got over $30,000 from the taxi industry
Ms. Quinn and other council members have directed hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations that Bolton-St. Johns represents, including most recently Care for the Homeless; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center; and the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation. Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, also represented by Ms. Giske, has received capital financing from the Council in the last two budgets. *Quinn’s Friendship With Lobbyist May Pose Test in Mayor Bid (NYT)
Much More to the Quinn Keogh Slush Fund Story Will Come Out During the Mayoral Campaign
Ms. Quinn criticized two of her staff members for continuing the practice of holding money in reserve accounts after she had ordered it stopped. After they left her employ, one of them, Michael Keogh, took a job at Bolton-St. Johns. Ms. Quinn was surprised by Mr. Keogh’s move and unhappy about it. Ms. Giske was upset over news accounts suggesting that the lobbying firm had given Mr. Keogh a soft landing, according to Mr. Adler. In 2009 right after he was pushed out of the speakers office because of the slush fund investigation Keogh was listed as top lobbyists for Boltonn St. Johns for the Highline. * Friends of the High Line, which has received $32.5 million in up-front council capital funding - got $290,000 from the secret Slush stash, more than any other organization in the city.
NYT Quinn Term Limits Clean Up is Beyond Belief
Memo to the NYT: Lobbyist Don't Gauge Support, They Work to Secure Votes
Ms. Giske played a role behind the scenes, gauging support among council members.
The New City Budget
Bloomberg Aims To Close $2 Billion Budget Gap(NY1) * Brighter Bloomberg budget is on tap (NYDN)* To close the budget gap, Bloomberg will rely on $1 billion in expected sales of new taxi medallions, money from a $1 billion fund set aside to cover future pension costs and a $1 billion emergency fund for health care costs, the mayor’s office said.
Koo Backs Off On Charge That the FBI Entrapped Liu
Liu pal’s big FBI Koo-boo (NYP) Koo backed away from his earlier comment that the F.B.I. used "political entrapment" to ensnare John Liu.
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Mayor Candidate Tries to Get Attention By Proposing Tax Cuts for the 95%
Stringer Calls for Tax Cut(WSJ) Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, a potential 2013 mayoral candidate, will on Thursday propose slashing city income taxes for 95% of New Yorkers, a plan based on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's overhaul of the state tax code.
NYSE Euronext, Deutsche Boerse scrap merger(NYP)
600,000 New Yorkers Owe Property Taxes Because of Goof
Owe, no! Tax-rebate goof (NYP) More than 600,000 New York City homeowners received a tax rebate up to $60 higher than they should have because of a late change to state tax law last year, and will have to repay it on their next property tax bill
From I am the Government to Good Old Uncle Andy
Uncle Andy in the ‘battle of Albany’ (NYP) * Minimum Wage Proposal Splits State Officials(NY1) * ‘Uncle Sam’ joins Gov. Cuomo's battle for Albany reform (NYDN) Bloomberg hasn’t yetMayor Michael Bloomberg and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver pen a Daily News op-ed saying New York should raise the minimum wage, calling it a vital part of the social safety net, formally endorsed Silver’s minimum wage hike proposal* Cuomo superimposed his own face on the visage of Uncle Sam as he sought to recruit county leaders to his side in the “battle of Albany.” * “The governor has bought himself a little breathing room with his end-of-year tax bargain but has created some bigger problems for the future,” writes EJ McMahon.* Some 50,000 state workers, including members of the UUP, are still without a contract.* The landlord for Cuomo’s office in Midtown Manhattan is putting 10 floors in the building up for sale—at twice the price it paid for the space from a state agency five years ago.
Ethics Commission Quietly Names New Director (NYT) * NYT: Biben appointed executive director of state ethics panel(Poltiics on the Hudson * Source: Cuomo Admin ‘Campaigned’ For Biben To Run JCOPE (Updated)(YNN) * David Grandeau Shocking Appointment
Redistricting Sausage Making
Silver hopes to make Andrew Cuomo “comfortable” with the new maps
Brooklyn Senator Helps File Lawsuit Against Current Redistricting Plan(NY1) * Proposed redistricting lines target Queens Dems(NYDN) * "[N]othing should transpire that does not have pre-clearance by the attorney general," said Sharpton. [Colby Hamilton]* Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said Cuomo needs to be made “comfortable” with LATFOR’s plan. That could take a while.* Cuomo called the shortened election season, caused by Judge Gary Sharpe’s June 26th ruling, an “incumbency-protection plan.”* The Rev. Al Sharpton joined fellow African American leaders to denounce LATFOR’s plan, calling it “deform rather than reform,” and asking: “Why do we have to say we’ll lose a black seat in Buffalo to have an Asian seat downstate?”* Sharpton thinks it would be fairer for a court to draw the district lines.* New Paltz School Board Opposes LATFOR Lines * The Senate carved a single block out of the Upper East Side and put it in the South Bronx. * Cuomo wants to avoid the possibility of three elections in New York State this year * In Brooklyn Redistricting, Eggs In One Basket(NY Jewish Week) * Redistricting Lawsuit Plaintiffs Are Dem Contributors(YNN) * Mayor Bloomberg Touts Balanced Budget While Warning Of ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ In Pension Fund (NYO)
DiNapoli: “New York’s recovery appears to be losing momentum, which raises concerns about the pace of the economic recovery in 2012.”State Recovers 46% Of Jobs Lost During Recession(YNN)
* DiNapoli: State recovery lost big mo in 2011(TU) * DiNapoli says NYC regained 52 percent of jobs lost in recession, better than suburbs and statewide total of 46 percent* McMahon: NY's still too business-unfriendly(Newsday) * Tom DiNapoli says New York’s economic rebound is geographically uneven.
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4Remember When School Fights Were Done By Students Not Unions, Principals, Administrators and Parents
King’s fateful choice(NYP) principals-union boss Ernest Logan and teachers-union head Michael Mulgrew asked King to stop Mayor Bloomberg from shutting 33 failing schools, replacing half their staff and then reopening them. They want the city to resume “negotiations” instead. * Students Stage Walkout To Protest School Closures(NY1) * Academic Quits SUNY Board Over Charter Schools (WSJ) New York University professor Pedro Noguera, who held a powerful position on the 17-member board that approves charter schools, said he believed the schools had evolved beyond their original mission: offering an alternative to failing public schools in impoverished neighborhoods.* King’s fateful choice (NYP Ed) The Post urges state Education Commissioner John King to ignore pleas from the city teachers and principals unions to block Bloomberg’s plans to shutter 33 failing schools, saying their only goal is to protect their worst members *Kids at closing schools better off – city(NYDN)* Union boss pans city’s school closure plan(NYDN)* With Data Backing Smaller High Schools, City’s Larger Ones Fret Over Their Fate(NYT) * Dennis Walcott Doesn’t ‘Buy Into’ Criticism of School Closures (NYO)
Nazi Ties and A Brooklyn State Senate Special Election
Nazi Accusations Fly in Brooklyn Senate Race (WSJ) The race for an open state Senate seat in southern Brooklyn has turned into a fight about Nazi ties.
Fidler Connects to Wepin' s Extremism
Fidler Who Fears A Loss Like Weprin Because Kruger Senate District Overlaps Weiner 9th CD, Is Now Involved in A Race Dominated About Nazi Charges. When Weprin ran for congress the flyer he used the year before when he ran for Assembly in a shoe in special election had the Nazi symbol on it front was according to some political consultants a signs of poor campaign management. Weprin's campaign manager had to resign from his job from a Queens jewish organization after he admitted sending the flyer *Weprin campaign sends mailing with swastika accusing friedrich of Extremism(NYP) * Bearak quits Civic Congress amid flier furor • TimesLedger * Goo Goos Say Assembly Dems Over The Line With Fidler Tribute(NYDN) * David Storobin’s Game Plan (C&S)
Separate Public Schools From Churches(NYT Ed) State lawmakers want to require New York City to allow religious groups to use public school buildings for worship services. The governor should veto the unconstitutional bill.
Transit union wins operators time off for subway tragedies(NYP) The MTA has agreed in contract talks to give subway operators three paid days off if their train hits someone who survives, while the old contract only gives paid time off if the victim dies * According to The Post, the MTA is “caving” in contract talks with the TWU and giving subway operators three days off when they hit someone.
Will Foreclosures Bring Back Abandon Buildings and Neighbors?
NY1 Exclusive: Underwater Windmill Farm Coming To East River(NY1)
Tavern Draws Interest on Tour(WSJ) The city's Department of Parks & Recreation flung upon the doors of the once glitzy, now closed landmark restaurant to prospective bidders, pitching a smaller, more casual restaurant stripped down to its core.
Washington Funding Cut From the 911 Museum
Comptroller and Con Ed Fight Over Indian Point Safety Rules
Agency Rejects Indian Point Fire Safety Plan(NYT) Indian Point’s owner, Entergy, is trying to block state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s move to force a new and broader safety review of the nuclear plant. DiNapoli filed a shareholder resolution for an independent safety review last fall on behalf of the state retirement fund, which owns $55.8 million in Entergy stock. The resolution could come up for a vote at Entergy’s shareholder meeting this spring, but the company has filed an SEC challenge to avoid that. “Entergy has tried to knock the proposal off their ballot,” said DiNapoli spokesman Eric Sumberg. Entergy spokesman Jim Steets countered that DiNapoli’s request is redundant and unnecessary. “Comptroller DiNapoli's basic idea is sound – which is why Entergy put a committee into action more than 25 years ago,” he said. “Entergy created in 1986 its Nuclear Committee, comprised of independent directors whose job it is to oversee Entergy’s nuclear operations.” (C&S)
NY1 Exclusive: Coney Island Business Owner To Move Entire Building From Boardwalk (NY1)
Peeling Paint A Real Scrape Underground, Survey Finds(NY1)
A map of how much energy each block of New York City uses * Midtown Manhattan Uses More Energy Than Kenya (INTERACTIVE MAP)
Election 2012 Nevada Next Stop
Secrecy Shrouds ‘Super PAC’ Funds in Latest Filings(NYT) * Paul Supporters Join G.O.P. Vanguard in Nevada(NYT) * Mitt Speaks. Oh, No!(NYT) * Mitt Romney makes leap with Hispanics(Wash Post)* Gingrich is challenging the winner-take-all delegate rule in Florida following his big loss to Romney there Tuesday.* Romney is leading in Nevada, which holds its caucuses Saturday.* Donald Trump will endorse Newt Gingrich. * A Dispirited Republican Electorate - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post * Where the Seesaw GOP Race Goes From Here - Douglas Schoen, FOX News * "Poor" Quote by Romney Joins a List Critics Love - Ashley Parker, NYT * Romney Betrays a Troubling View of Society - Mark Steyn, National Review * Three Cheers for RomneyCare - Ann Coulter, AnnCoulter.com * Hope for Obama in Florida? A Sliver - Alexis Simendinger, RealClearPolitics * Is Romney's Master Plan Falling Into Place? - Dan Balz, Washington Post * Florida Win Was All About Romney's Money - Alec MacGillis, New Republic * WSJ's Brody & Mundy note that total money raised by RNC and GOP field in '11 about same as total by Obama/DNC.
Donald Trump is set to endorse Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination for president. (Fox News) * Obama, Romney campaigns engage in fundraising duel (The Hill) * Presidential circus comes to the Nevada caucus(Politico) * Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney, not Newt Gingrich as was originally reported. *Nevada polling isn’t the best. * The GOP Race & the Power of Ideas - Karl Rove, Wall Street Journal * Romney Adds Fuel to "Out-of-Touch" Narrative - Major Garrett, Natl Jrnl * Can Gingrich Close the Gender Gap? - Patricia Murphy, The Daily Beast * How the GOP Is Resegregating the South - Ari Berman, The Nation
Jon Stewart’s Jaw Drops At Romney Not Being ‘Concerned About The Very Poor’
Jon Stewart: Newt Gingrich Thinks He Won The Florida Primary, General Election Already (VIDEO)
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Hacking Investigation Spreads To Another Murdoch Paper
Murdoch's London Times Hacking?
Times of London in Hacking Inquiry(NYT)
Gray Lady Down
The New York Times Company lost nearly $40 million last year. (NY Mag) * Bad Times (Huff Post)
Wounded cop very fortunate, doctor says(NYDN) * Brooklyn Man To Be Arraigned In Attempted Murder Of NYPD Officer (NY1) * Prosecutor blasts thug as 'miracle' cop 'shooter' ordered held without bail (NYP) * No Bail for Suspect in Police Shooting in Brooklyn(NYT)
Troubling' Fight Video(WSJ) * Family Calls For Officers To Be Charged In Bronx Man's Beating(NY1) * Kelly yanks cops in video beatdown(NYDN)
Judge and Repeat Robber Meet Again(NYT) * Brother Arrested in Beating of Boy(WSJ) * Girl, 10, shot in the Bronx(NYDN)* FBI nails ‘Hardhat Bandit’— again(NYDN) * Bronx youths, including 12-year-old, hit in quadruple shooting(NYDN)* Catholic Charities employees accused of theft(NYDN)* Catholic Charities employees accused of theft(NYDN) * Brooklyn student injured after being bashed in head with pipe during violent robbery(NYP) * Narcotics Officers Fatally Shoot A Man Inside A Bronx Home (NY1)
Top priest banished(NYP) Sentenced to “a life of prayer and penance” by the Vatican for his alleged molestation of up to 10 kids decades ago.
