Monday, June 18, 2012

No Campaign Reporting is Bad for the Public

The Flacking News

This week the Queens Tribune has published 49 sex trafficking ads. The fact that that newspaper that prints the sex ads is partly owned by a queens machine hack who also works as a political consultant for Grace Meng and is involved in efforts to split the Jewish vote is not news to the old media, is a good indicator that campaign coverage is limited to whatever the flacks want the media to publish. The press did covered a battle between Meng and her only real opponent Lancman over who would better protect social security and another one about the meaning of a NYT endorsement. How does an inside baseball story about an endorsement help any voter figure out what a candidate will do in congress.   In realty with the coming budget cuts in 2013 no freshman congressman will have any ability to save any program in Washington, even Senator Schumer might be helpless if the GOP takes over the senate.  The media has ignored in all the city's congressional races what is really important in congress, campaign contribution and lobbyist.  We have no reports about which lobbyists is behind any of the candidates running for congresses or who contributed to their campaigns.  Yes the FCC does not require candidates to publish their contributors until July after the primary, but the editorial board could have demanded the information before they consider any congressional candidate for an endorsement. 



The NYP endorsement of Hakeem Jeffries is really more of an alarm over Charles Barron.
NYP Endorses Jeffries for Congress Endorsing Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries for Congress, the Post writes that Democrats can spare New York from becoming a “national laughingstock” by selecting him over Councilman Charles Barron, “a shameless racial ideologue.” *Chuck Schumer will address the Charles Barron situation 'in the near future'(Capital) * Up For Grabs (City and State)

 




Election 2012 For a Rangel Challenger, Voters’ Opinions Are the Only Ones That Matter(NYT) underdog Williams: "The whole thing about ‘Every Latino’s going to vote for Espaillat,’ I know it’s not true."* G.O.P. Senate Hopefuls Compete in a TV Debate(NYT) * Cuomo and Silver Offer Up "Non-Endorsement Endorsements"(NYDN) * Top 2013 mayoral hopefuls marched on Mike Bloomberg’s house to protest stop-and-frisk.  * *Brooklyn pols vie for 8th district(Brooklyn Chronicle) * Race for Meng’s seat keeps growing(Queens Chronicle)* Elizabeth Crowley Takes The Gloves Off, Bops Lancman [Video] (NYO) * Congressional Candidates Spar Over NYPD Spying(DNAINFO) * Koch Provides Jewish Backing For Nydia Velazquez(NYO) *  Robert Mittman’s Campaign Pitch: ‘I Am A Medical Doctor’ [Video](NYO) * Espaillat Says That The Times Is ‘Wrong’ To Endorse Clyde Williams(NYO) * Both Hakeem Jeffries and Charles Barron think the race will be close. * Rory Lancman is out with a rather harsh new mailer going after his opponents on national security. * WNYC has an interesting demographic map of the new 6th Congressional District. Emily’s List is using online ads to support Grace Meng. * The Labor Press endorsed Lancman. * The AFL-CIO endorsed Rep. Charlie Rangel in NY-13.* Bloomberg and his anti-illegal gun group is an issue in the NY-27 GOP primary. * The District Council of Carpenters endorsed Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries in NY-8.



Vito Vs Velazquez
Velázquez Versus Vito (City and State)

Wonder Why Velazquez and Media Has Not Pick Up on This
Brooklyn Pol Put $187G of Your Dough into Wife's Nonprofit(2008)
 

 

Stringer Vs de Blasio on Outer Borough Taxi Plan
"Let’s make sure New Yorkers—no matter what neighborhood they hail from—have access to the same level of taxi service." Stringer Vs De Blasio backs a suit against the Bloomberg taxi plan | Capital New ...



 Sampson and Chinese Green Cards
The “Volunteer” V.P. (City and State) John Sampson’s unusual new gig marketing green cards to Chinese nationals





3 Republicans candidates running for U.S. Senate faced off in a televised debate, with each trying to differentiate themselves in a race that has garnered little attention from voters
In NY1 Debate, GOP Senate Hopefuls Say They'll Fight Tax Hikes * NY1 Online: GOP Senate Debate 06/17/12 [Full Program] * The three Republicans vying for their party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate debated. (TU) * Bob McCarthy says any of them faces long odds against Gillibrand, who has $9 million in her war chest. (BN) * The three Republicans candidates vying to take on Sen Kirsten Gillibrand disagreed on same-sex marriage, taxes, and whether or not Mike Bloomberg was a better mayor than Rudy Giuliani.






Albany Pols will Get Higher Pay Before They Head to Jail and A Higher Pension After They Sever There Sentence
Pols get pay bump to six figs(NYP) A deal to approve lawmakers’ first pay raise since 1999 calls for legislators’ base $79,500 salary to jump to more than $100,000 starting Jan. 1, sources said.Cuomo and lawmakers are close to coming to terms on pay raises for lawmakers and members of the executive office.  * A deal has reportedly been reached to bump legislators’ base pay to $100,000 a year, but it won’t be passed until the week after Thanksgiving.

 


Former Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. has lost the support of a longtime friend and former aide as he faces a re-trial on corruption charges. 






Larry Seabrook is set to face retrial on federal corruption charges. 










Schneiderman Withdrew “Motion To Compel” Against Wills (C&S)









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Teacher Evaluations: Dicker Possibility No Agreement, WSJ Deal Near, NYDN Describes Proposal
Albany scrambles to keep teacher secrets(Dicker, NYP) The high-stakes political battle over public disclosure of newly required teacher evaluations goes down to the wire today with the possibility that no agreement will be reached * Albany Deal Close on Shielding Teachers' Scores(WSJ) * Instructors names withheld in Gov. Cuomo's teacher evaluation disclosure proposal (NYDN) Parents, not public, would be allowed to see evaluation and name of child's teacher, source say. Parents would be able to see reports  either via email or during a visit to the school. * New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it was an “outrage” that the evaluations be redacted. (DN)**UPDATE Cuomo: Teacher Evaluation Disclosure Can Wait

 

Millionaire’s Tax-Linked Group Publishes Report on Ties Between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Committee to Save New York(C&S)

 






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End of Session Deal Making Time in Albany
Deal in Albany on Policing Abuse of Disabled(NYT) * Pols eye new agency to protect disabled (NYDN) * Late Report Holds Up Divorce Law Changes(WSJ) * Cuomo close to taking control of New York Racing Associ (NYDN) * Cuomo grabs reins on racing(NYP) * Senate Dems Say They Won't Negotiate With IDC(NYDN) * Safe? Then put fracking to a test(TU) The Times-Union says that if the Cuomo Administration thinks fracking can be done safely, it should test its assumptions before deciding whether to open the floodgates * State lawmakers are there, too, entering their final stretch of the 2012 session. They’ve got a lot of work to do, as a number of deals were reached over the weekend – including one on the governor’s top priority, the Justice Center. * Michael Carey, who had been advocating for a center with more independence, wasn’t happy with the deal, calling it an “outright fraud” and a “slap in the face on Father’s Day.” Carey, whose son died while in state care five years ago, wants abuse investigations of public employees referred to outside agencies “just like for anyone else.” * Also finalized: A measure defining and cracking down on Cyberbullying, legislation to make viewing child porn a crime and a measure to create a state oversight board for NYRA.*Several anonymous Senate Democrats say they’d prefer remaining in the minority to negotiating with the four-member IDC.* Sate lawmakers are in talks over a plan to lower New York’s cap on carbon emissions, a move that would likely boost costs for coal-fired power plants and revamp the state’s participation in a regional climate-change program. * New York’s spending growth has slowed, a national survey finds. That helped the state get ranked 10th for business climate by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (BN/DN) * Deals done, wrap nears(TU) * Senate Dems: ‘Mission Unaccomplished’(YNN) * Inbox: Resorts World says Aqueduct racino reaped $57.5 million in May, making it highest-grossing slot venue in U.S.* Sundram Says Justice Center Will Respond To Juvenile Assaults(YNN) * Top adviser defends Cuomo's new agency for the disabled (City and State) * New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association and the Cuomo administration have reached a tentative contract agreement. 



  Taxi Lawsuit Talking to the NYC Budget
With Taxi Deal Blocked, the City’s Budget Is in Flux(NYT) A judge’s ruling blocking Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s taxi expansion plan has thrown New York City’s budget into flux with two weeks to go until the start of the fiscal year.  
More on the City Hall News
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio plans lawsuit to halt city child care cuts (NYDN) De Blasio and Councilwoman Letitia James fight new system that would chop 5,500 child care slots





Park Boss Out
Bye Bye Benepe: Parks Commissioner Bows Out(NYO) * Parks Chief Benepe Leaving for Job at Nonprofit (NYT) Mayor Bloomberg appoints new commissioner, Veronica White, to replace Adrian Benepe.






Silent March Show A Growing Coalition
Street rally to mayor: Stop the frisk!(NYP)* Thousands March Silently to Protest Stop-and-Frisk Policies(NYT) * Silent Treatment for NYPD(WSJ) * Marchers protest NYPD's stop-and-frisk tactics(WSJ) * Protesters march in silence in NYC(NYDN) * Silent Stop-And-Frisk March Carries Loud Message Down Fifth(NY1) * Pol argues reform of NYPD stop-and-frisk policy another step down road to civil rights  (NYDN) Be Our Guest: Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer * "As many marchers dispersed, police officers at 77th Street and Fifth Avenue began pushing a crowd that defied orders to leave the intersection, shoving some to the ground and forcing the protesters to a sidewalk, where they were corralled behind metal barricades. After protesters pushed back, the officers used an orange net to clear the sidewalk, and appeared to arrest at least three people." [John Leland and Colin Moynihan] * Political Opponents Of Stop And Frisk Explain Why And How They Want The Policy To End (NYO) * Nine protesters arrested at yesterday's Silent March after scuffle with police * Stopping to Question the Numbers(NYT) * Jerry Nadler Says Feds Didn’t Give ‘A Satisfactory Response’ To His Call For A Probe Into NYPD’s Handling Of Occupy Wall Street(NYO)






 Bloomberg Marches to A Black Church to Sell An Amended More Civil Stop and Frisk

 

Walcott's Says UFT's Mulgrew Protecting Pervert Teachers
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott says teachers union protecting perverts (NYDN) Complains to UFT leader Michael Mulgrew that union is fighting to have teachers returned to class even after probes have revealed 'inappropriate sexual behavior'







What Did CM Rodriquez Know and When Did He Know It

Job application of controversial City Council aide, redacted(Capital)

When the New York Post reported in April that a spokesman for City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez had been arrested seven years earlier for throwing a flaming rag into an army recruitment center


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Son of Hank Morris and Steve Rattner?  Looks Like Political Connections Are Still Important to Get City Pension Fund $$$

The Greening of the Wallet

Gore’s eco-friendly firm lands $16M contract to manage city pension funds(NYP) Al Gore’s environmentally friendly investment firm has received a $65 million contract from John Liu to help manage hundreds of millions of dollars in city pension funds.Greg Floyd, a NYCER trustee said Gore's connection was "under the radar." Later he had no problem with it, so long as it was financially prudent. [Chuck Bennett and Carl Campanile]



Family Feud over 911 Dad Dissed
9/11 slight fight (NYP)Mario flap sparks Mike & Andy feudCuomo holding 9/11 memorial $ bc dad got dissed at '11 GZ ceremony by Bloomberg people. Really about legacy control. * Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sent a letter to the federal government requesting financial assistance for the National September 11 Memorial Museum amid disagreements over how to fund it(NYT) *  Instead of asking for federal money, Govs. Cuomo and Chris Christie should scrap the performing arts center for Ground Zero and divert it to an accessible 9/11 museum that makes fiscal and aesthetic sense, the Post says * Cuomo is reportedly witholding cash for the 9/11 memorial because he’s furious over treatment of himself and his father, ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo, by Bloomberg’s people at last year’s Ground Zero ceremony. A Bloomberg source said of Cuomo’s reaction: “(O)n the chart of crazy, it’s off the charts.”















First Responders at JFK Airport Unqualified to Handle Emergencies, Feds Say(DNAInfo)








PA Sgt. nearly triples his $100K-plus salary with about 40 OT hours a week(NYP) * Pile pensions for hundreds of Finest & Bravest (NYDN) MORE THAN 700 retired cops and firefighters have switched their pensions to a special 9/11-related disability status since the state permitted them to do so in 2006,



Barclays bar fray: Neighbors angry about Jay-Z bar’s late last call(Brooklyn Paper)




Daily News 75 Cents NYP $1.00

'Daily News' tries to capitalize at the newsstand on 'Post' price bump(Capital)





Pay for Play Grades
Baruch College Finds Problems in a Business Program(NYT) According to The New York Post, an administrator was accused of faking professors’ signatures to improve grades of students seeking executive master’s degrees. * High Level Administrator At Prestigious Business School(WCBS) * CUNY business school fixed Wall Streeters' GPAs to keep getting their tuition checks. (via )
 



4th Avenue Mess
Brooklyn's Burden: Fourth Avenue(WSJ) Just as great architecture can lift the spirit, bad architecture can crush it. In few parts of New York is this more the case than with the rash of new apartment buildings along Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue.*
Hmm. Compare WSJ on Amanda Burden to NYTimes encomium  No mention in latter of 4th Ave. BK mistakes





Landlord 'paid' biker gang to drive B'klyn tenants out, residents say(NYP)

Revisiting the Era of Automatic Dining(NYT)








The Making of A President 2012
Chris Christie: Call Me, Mitt (Newsweek) *Obama Re-Election Complicated by World Events(NYT)* On and Off the Bus, Auditions for the Romney Ticket(NYT) * (WSJ)* Romney's road to the White House runs through Rust Belt (Rust Belt) * Obama adviser to worried Dems: Get behind our message (TPM) * In an interview, Mitt Romney warned if he wasn’t elected the United States would become “like Europe.” (ABC) * Steve Kornacki said that Mitt Romney’s non-answer on whether or not he would repeal Obama’s immigration order is a way of talking without saying anything. * Axelrod: This Is Still About Hope - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post * The Obama Campaign Needs an Intervention - Al Hunt, Bloomberg * In Praise of Obama Going Negative - Frank Rich, New York Magazine *Panic Sets In at the White House - John Sununu, Boston Globe * The GOP Flip-Flop on Health Care Mandate - Ezra Klein, The New Yorker * An Imperial Presidency, On Steroids - Hugh Hewitt, Washington Examiner * Obama, Dems Prep for War Against SCOTUS - Juan Williams, The Hill * "Angry" Money Boosts Romney, GOP - Michael Barone, DC Examiner * Obama Gets No Credit for Saving the Economy - Nicholas Wapshott, Politico * Protesters Try to Drown Out Romney in OH - Erin McPike, RealClearPolitics * White Working Class Vote a Barometer - Thomas Edsall, New York Times * The Penultimate Carter Moment for Obama - Erick Erickson, Red State* "Given the anemic employment numbers and the pack of billionaire GOP sugar daddies smelling blood after their Wisconsin victory, a reboot of hope and change would truly be the reelection campaign’s most self-destructive option." [Frank Rich]  * "[T]here are so many similarities between the Romney and Obama [health care] reforms that Romney appears to have developed selective amnesia as he panders to the conservative right." [Buffalo News] * On and Off Romney Bus, Tryouts for No. 2 on Ticket(NYT) * John Kerry will play the part of Mitt Romney in President Obama’s debate rehearsals. * The New York Times will team up with BuzzFeed to cover the 2012 conventions. * Even the Chinese think Hillary Clinton might run for president in 2016.* Mayor Bloomberg Wishes a Guy Like Mayor Bloomberg Was Running for President (NY Mag)


Bloomberg Says Romney Better
At a gala fundraiser for the Mayor’s Fund to New York City, Mike Bloomberg is overheard saying that he will remain neutral in the presidential race, but thinks Mitt Romney would make a better  president. Among the guests who dished on the mayor’s comments were a reporter for the New York Times who overheard Hizzoner.* Bloomberg overheard saying Romney would make a better leader than Obama


Broken News (New Yorker) The artificial intelligence of “The Newsroom.”* Campaign Ad Buys Target News Shows (Daily Beast)





Law and Order

NYPD locks down Harlem neighborhood after fatal shooting(NYP)

 

Cops want to talk to Drake about nightclub brawl, but he’s avoiding them: sources (NYP) ‘Bottle brawl’ loverboy dodges cops * After Celebrity Brawl, Police Shut Down Two Nightclubs(NYT)


Killers of Bronx grandmother, 88, may have been after her jewelry: police(NYP) * $12G reward for granny's killer(NYDN)



Alleged UES Madam Anna Gristina Expected To Be Released From Rikers Island * Madam may get bail, but ankle bracelet will limit her freedom(NYP) * Manhattan madam to remain at Rikers until new bail package ready




‘FRIES’ SELF Cop: Busted man to ‘teach lesson’ (NYDN) * N-Word-Spewing Cop Admits to False Arrest, Insists He Isn’t Racist(NY Mag) * Shot Fired at Duane Reade Cashier in Robbery Attempt(NYT) * Police Seek Two Attempted Pharmacy Robbers(NY1)











 More Anti-Jewish Hate Graffiti
Hate Crimes Unit Investigates More Anti-Semitic Graffiti(NY1) * NYPD Investigating After Swastikas Found On Van, Light Pole In Brooklyn