During a lecture at he new school in the 1970's WCBS TV's anchorman Jim Jenson said that his station would never allow campaign commercials to be played during the stations news programs because it was unethical of a news station to mix news and politics and view might be confused that the campaign commercials were part of the news program. Today not only do every TV news station run campaign ads, they also run issue ads paid by special interests.
If you were watching WCBSTV local news this weekend you would have seen a commercials paid for by The Committee to Save New York (business interests supporting Cuomo) called "Turn the Tide" which told the views that Governor Cuomo did a wonderful job at fixing pensions and the states economy. Other TV ads pushing Cuomo's accomplishment were paid for by the state's democratic party. There have been other commercials put out by unions attacking Cuomo for trying to cut pensions. The UFT spent almost $3 million last year attacking Bloomberg on his policy of evaluation teachers. Bloomberg also paid $1 million last year on TV Commercials telling the news viewers what a wonderful job he has done as mayor. Political consultants says these ads very effectively shape public opinion.
Happy No News Local News Mind Control
If you were watching WCBSTV this weekend you would have seen the Committee to Save New York's pension and budget commercial. What you would not have seen was anything on the local news or their websites produced by the station on the budget on pension. It is no secret that local news is no more than light headline reading service with weather, traffic and sports reports. TV and radio stations have always relied on the local newspaper for most of their news content. With cutbacks in newspaper reporters cause by Internet, the decline of readers and advertises papers use mostly wire services, features and fluff to fill their pages. Local TV news shows which in the past counted on the papers for original stories now fill they hours with reports on dog car, cooking and people you never heard of singing off key. The move to news on the Internet has dumb down the already dumb down TV news. Not at anytime during the weekend did one of the Stations running the commercials give analysis or offer criticism of Cuomo's. In other words those that have the money to pay for commercials can brainwash the viewers to see it there way. We are about to enter a phase in the presidential campaign where the Super Pacs will start spending over 100 Million to tell use what the news and facts are. It looks like we are coming to the end of independent journalism and entering a phase of Orwellian mind control that even George had no idea could happen.
Dumb Down Local News Stations Make $$$ on Super PACS Special Interests Spending
Local News: Keeping the Public Uninformed & Programed is Profitable
Local News which is mainly weather, traffic, cooking and dog segments is making millions in lobbyists spending. Cuomo and his supporters spent over $10 million last year to gain public support to push through his agenda. Bloomberg, union and business interest like the pro fracking gas industry are spending millions more on ads to local stations. All this money is coming in as local stations has dumb down their news programs. Local TV stations stand to profit from boom in super-PAC spending (The Hill) * Local News Dumb Down Journalism (True News)
New Pension Law Loop Holes Give the Mayor and Governor the Power to Increase Pensions
Union suspends $$ for pension-cutting pols(NYP) * Cuomo’s pension two-step (NYDN) Goodies for the governor, hidden in a midnight deal. Buried deep inside the 45-page pension reform bill are clauses that undercut the stated purpose of reforming a broken pension system, and that no one outside of Albany’s back rooms had a clue about until the deed was done * Budget debate subdued this time The current debate over the state budget has been muted compared to last year's marathon struggle, with some of the biggest spenders sitting largely on the sidelines *\ Bob Hammond says that pension reform bill pushed by Andrew Cuomo is riven with loopholes, including one that allows the governor or mayor of New York to enhance pension benefits without going to the legislature.*Cuomo warns a union against linking donations to specific(Capital)
Local News Dumb Down Journalism (True News)
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Albany Pols Got the District Lines They Wanted Now They Want Their Member Item Pork Back
Shelly wants to let the hogs out again(NYP) After two years of austerity budgets with no “member items” for state lawmakers, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver indicated yesterday he’d like them back in the budget for the fiscal year that begins next month. * The NY Post picks up the “Assembly Democrats try to bring back member items” story the TU reported a month ago.* Under Cuomo member items (AKA “pork”) have been placed in a “community projects fund,” and cash from that fund continues to be spent.* Silver wants pork barrel spending back (ABC)
Mclaughlin Lets Bring Back Member Items
Brian Mclaughlin in Still in Jail For Ripping Off Member Items Government Funds From 1999 to 2010, some 17 of these lawmakers did leave office in handcuffs or under an ethical cloud — almost three per election cycle, on average. (And that doesn’t count David Paterson, who was hit with a $62,000 ethics fine, or Eliot Spitzer, who quit after being caught with his, um, socks on. * Study rates New York State Legislators near the bottom for integrity (NYDN Ed) But we all know they are much worse than that. The News demands a redo of a study finding that New York has only the 36th most corrupt Legislature, arguing it would “hate to see them taking comfort from the mistaken idea that they aren’t the worst:”
Looks Like Espada Will Soon Be Joining Mclaughlin Pedro Espada Jr.’s defense lawyer desperately tried to damage a key witness against the Bronx politician yesterday — but the former exec for the Bronx health clinic that Espada is accused of ripping off held her ground and the strategy backfired. Pedro smokescreen(NYP) * Defense lawyers for ex-Sen. Pedro Espada infuriated a federal judge during his corruption trial yesterday, leading the judge to ask if the lawyers were intentionally trying to “cloud” his mind, Court Orders New Lines Yesterday Petitions Go Out Today
New Congressional Lines Imposed by Federal Court(NYT) * A federal judge released the final state Congressional lines, chastising the legislature in the process for letting the job go to the courts.* Federal Judges Officially Approve Redrawn State Congressional Districts(NY1) * Cuomo called his redistricting critics hypocritical.
Dead Man Walking - Shocking Results
Fidler Get His Ass Kicked by A Nobody
"100 percent in from NYC BOE Storobin up 120 votes 10756 to 10636" 800 paper votes to be count Experts Say No Way He Can Challenge Marty Golden With Such A Poor Showing Against A First Time Candidate. Thomas Jefferson Club Smoke and Mirrors Power Long Gone.
Fidler's Club Now Called the Thomas Dewey Club
BOE says Fidler Down unofficial by 126. But Fidler Declears Victory By 207
Leader of Teachers’ Union Is Courted in Mayoral Race (NYT)
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Terror In France Causes NY Alert
Horror alert in Gotham(NYP) * Shooting At Jewish School In France Prompts Stepped-Up Security(WABC)
Mayor Bloomberg linked the violence in France to the need for NYPD surveillance * He wanted to sell guns to Hezbollah , feds say(NYDN) * NYPD Ups Security In Wake Of Jewish School Shooting In France(NY1) 
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Ratner Lobbyist Trial Forged Email Conspiracy Theory - No Love?
Doubt Cast on Defendant’s Romantic E-Mails(NYT) In a Yonkers corruption trial, a prosecutor accused Zehy Jereis of fabricating e-mails in which he expressed desire for a former city councilwoman. In the sprawling Yonkers political corruption trial, prosecutors charged that defendant Zehy Jereis forged emails in effort to create the appearance that a $175,000 bribe for a Yonkers councilwoman was actually the result of a romantic infatuation, * Defendant Jereis cross-examined in Yonkers corruption trial: contestations, contradictions, and a major question: were the lovesick emails a sham?(Atlantic Yard Review)
In Crackdown on Unlicensed Taxis, City Runs Out of Room(NYT) In a bid to clear the streets of unlicensed taxis, officers at the Taxi and Limousine Commission have seized so many cars that New York City has run out of space to keep them.
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Battling Liu: Tax Breaks Promises Broken
Outer Borough Taxi Delay
Liu rejects taxi-dispatch contract, further delaying the mayor's outer-borough taxi(Capital)
Occupy Dicker: Protesters knock News Corp, Cuomo(TU)
OWS Rallies Against Police Force
Sharp Response Meets Return of Protesters(NYT) * Occupy Renews Protests, Complaints(WSJ) * New 'Occupy' Protests, Same Complaints Against NYPD(WSJ) * Pesthole park (NYP) The Post writes that one downside of global warming is that it brings out the “pests” (aka, Occupy Wall Street protestors) * Occupy Wall Street ‘kill cops’ tweet could get someone hurt (NYDN Ed) City Council members decry NYPD ‘brutality,’ but not Florida man’s incendiary Twitter message The News says the latest arrests of Occupy protesters would be “hilarious” if not for a tweet, pegged to a website showing live video of the recent demonstration, calling for cops to be killed * Occupy Wall Street protests returned, and were met with a harsh response by city officials and the NYPD. * Group Criticizes NYPD's Handling Of Latest OWS Arrests(NY1) * Mayor Bloomberg did not take kindly to the return of Occupy Wall Street, delivering a message to protestors: “You want to get arrested? We’ll accommodate you.” *Bloomberg On Occupy Anniversary Arrests: 'You Want To Get Arrested? We'll Accommodate You' (PHOTOS)
At Prospect Park, a Transformation Is Behind Schedule(NYT)
More than five years after the Lakeside construction effort at the 585-acre oasis in Brooklyn was announced, the project is half-built and half-imagined.
Pay Phone Company Wants To Install Public Computer Kiosks Across City(NY1)
Patch me if you can(NYP) Bumpy debut by $290,000 pothole machine * Bloomberg’s 1-Man Pothole Filling Machine Leaves A ‘Hole’(WCBS)
* 3 Shot in Harlem, Near Playground(NBC)
* Brooklyn Precinct Tops List Of City's Most Stop-And-Frisked Areas(C&S)
* Brooklyn Precinct Tops List Of City's Most Stop-And-Frisked Areas(C&S)
Mets owners could actually make money in Madoff settlement(NYP) * We wuz robbed! say fans(NYP) * Mets’ Owners Agree to Settle Madoff Suit for $162 Million(NYT) * Mets and Madoff Victims’ Trustee Now Unlikely Allies(NYT)
Record number of school staffers arrested (NYDN) *Sources: Mets Owners Sell Team Shares Following $162M Settlement
Mitt Romney Wins Illinois Primary
Santorum loses the Catholic vote -- again * Not good start for Obama-approved SuperPAC, PrioritiesUSA. The Maher $1M check accounts for half the Feb. fundraising.
Santorum Writings Voice Strikingly Consistent Views(NYT) * Romney Attacks Obama Over Gas(WSJ) *
Why is This The Most Important Case in the City: Who is In That Black Book?
More targets in E. Side madam case(NYP)
Cart mom pities thugs, hails hero(NYP) * NYC shopping cart victim speaks out(WSJ)* Video Shows Teen Trying To Stop Friends In East Harlem Shopping (WABC)* Shopping cart prank victim speaks out(WABC)
Woman Leaves Trail of Trash-Can Fires in Midtown(NYT) *
- Woman Who Started Trash-Can Fires Not a Woman(NY Mag) *Woman Suspected in Midtown Trash-Can Fires Turns Out to Be a Man (NYT)
Killings of Officer and 5 Others Detailed as Mob Trial Begins(NYT)
