Running for Mayor is A Special Interests Catering Job

Taxi Pay to Play de Blasio

Taxi Industry Opens Wallet for de Blasio, a Chief Ally(NYT) The city’s yellow taxi industry contributed $85,000 in the past six months to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who opposed Bloomberg’s plan allowing metered livery cabs in the outerboroughs * Bloomberg commissioner calls de Blasio's taxi stance 'nonsense * Public Advocate Tries To Slow Bloomberg's "Boro Taxi" Plan (Gothamist) * Stringer and de Blasio go head-to-head over a suit threatening Bloomberg's borough taxi plan(Capital)



Developers Pay to Play With Quinn

Quinn’s funds are ‘Related’(NYP)  Mayoral hopeful and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn took in more than $17,000 in campaign donations connected to Hudson Yards developer Related Cos. since the start of 2012, according to newly released campaign-finance reports. During the same six-month period, Quinn privately negotiated a deal that gave the firm a break from the recently passed law that raises to $10 an hour the pay for lower-income employees who work for companies that receive major subsidies from City Hall. *Quinn’s funds are ‘Related’ (NYP) * Steinem Presses Quinn to Back Sick-Leave Bill(NYT) Feminist icon Gloria Steinem is pressuring Council Speaker Christine Quinn to allow a City Council vote on a bill requiring businesses to give their employees paid sick leave* Quinn Rebukes Carriage Industry After Driver Hurls Slurs * Quinn oinks all over town(Queens Crap)

MEMBER ITEMS LANGUAGE TO BLAME FOR $20 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOUL-UP: A single sentence in this year's state budget intended to help fund member items was also responsible for holding up roughly $20 million in federal aid to the state conservation fund, letters from the Cuomo administration's legal counsel show:(City and State)

Campaign 2012 State Senate Democrats Face Fundraising Disadvantage(NY1)*

Rozic's Last-Minute Fundraising Ruse(C&S) * Diaz Jr., Vacca top campaign fundraisers so far this year: City Councilman James Vacca raised more campaign cas...*DA Charles Hynes running a corrupt office, challenger claims (Brooklyn Paper) * Silver: Senate Dem Majority Is ‘Enticing’ But …(YNN) * NYPIRG: GOP Has Five Times The Cash (Updated X2) * DCCC Takes On GOP Fundraising(YNN) * Retiring Sen. Tom Duane’s preferred successor, Brad Hoylman, is winning the fundraising race.* Abe George, who is running against Brooklyn DA Joe Hynes while criticizing his allegiance to Hasidic political interests, has been courting the Satmar community. * Borough President Questions Chelsea Market Plan(NYT)

NYC Spending High Tax Ways is In Its DNA

NY is tax-&-spend capital of America(NYP) New York was still spending the most on government while at the same time taxing the most as a portion of income in 2009, the report by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker and ex-New York Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch found. * Former NYS Lt. Governor Predicts Budget Crisis For State, Local Gov'ts(NY1) * New York ranks No. 1 in the country when it comes to requests for immigrant workers  (NYDN) Local companies want to hire computer and financial specialists from overseas, according to a new Brookings Institution study * New York led the region in H-1B visa requests. * Former LG Richard Ravitch believes a fiscal crisis is coming for states in the US that may be severe enough to threaten the “social order.”* Among six big states, New York cut fewer government jobs proportionately than New Jersey, California, Texas and Illinois over the last three years, with only Virginia adding jobs, a new report found.

Was Liu Distracted by Something?

Pension funds’ stumble to cost city (NYDN) THE CITY’S pension funds posted tepid returns of 1.7% over the last year, Controller John Liu said Tuesday. The anemic returns compare with an average of 6.7% over the past 10 years

We Would Like to See GOP Chair Ragusa Audits For Unisphere For the Last 9 Years?

Former Queens Park Official Is Charged With Stealing(NYT) Estelle Cooper, former administrator for Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, was indicted in the theft of more than $50,000 from Unisphere Inc. Phil Ragusa, a certified public accountant who had filed the nonprofit group’s tax returns since its inception, said he discovered evidence of theft in November 2011, when he uncovered major A.T.M. withdrawals that could not be accounted for. It's not clear how Cooper obtained access to the funds, but she systematically pilfered more than $50,000 dollars during a five-year period starting in 2007, authorities said.* Queens Crap: Estelle Cooper's family runs shady day camp(Queens Crap)

Cooper a former Clare Schulman Wow Girls was fired from her job as the administrator of the Flushing Meadows Park after Fox 5 did a report that her daughter Ilene Balsamo was running a camp out of her mother's park charging parents up to $3000 while paying the city just one dollar a camper. Balsamo, had an encounter with Fox 5 last year past year regarding a payroll dispute involving teenagers, click here to read it.  Shortly after the camp story came out Estelle was fired from her $101,500 a year job.  Estelle said was was leaving her job to form a new political consulting firm repulsed by the unethical conductpermitted under the present system. A war with the Parkside Group. Insiders in Queens think that the firm was started to replace GSP who was tainted when the FBI raided GOP Ragusa appointee to the Board of Elections Steve Graves, who recently left the board after it was made public that he was caught on tape soliciting a $25,000 “finder’s fee” from a voting-machine company three years ago.  GSP head Jay Golub has found work splitting the Jewish vote for the Queens Democratic machine with his candidate Robert Mittman Coopers new consultant firm is working with GOP endorsed candidate against Congressman Meeks  Ex-Councilman Allan Jennings Running As Republican Against Rep. Greg Meeks * Ex-official in NYC parks dept. charged(WSJ)

Media Reports Changes to Incompetent Vote Counting Ignores Corruption Of the BOE Knocking Off the Ballot Challengers to Incumbent Pols . . . Board of Elections has adopted a slightly less insane vote counting process  that they'd previously claimed was illegal

The City Board of Elections abandoned its manual vote-count method and approved a new process of reporting election-night vote totals that will provide the public with faster and more accurate results. The process sounds almost as confusing and circuitous as the existing practice.   City Board Approves Process Aimed at Faster Vote Results(NYT) * 21st-Century Vote Tally(WSJ) * Board Of Elections Presents Solutions To Election Night Woes(NY1)

More Votes Found in the Rangel Race . . . 500 Found Rangel Won By 990
More vote-machine troubles(NYDN) * The News’ Juan Gonzalez pesters the Board of Elections after a Daily News review found that more than 500 votes in the Northern Manhattan congressional race were never counted for any of the candidates * Adriano Espaillat's campaign posts a video from a voter who describes the trouble she had voting in the race. [Youtube]

James O’Keefe Takes on Shelly Silver, NY’s Unions And Lawmakers In Incriminating New Video(NYO) *Silver: Senate Dem Majority Is ‘Enticing’ But …(NYO)

Spitzer Offers Advice to Weiner, Too Soon . . . The People's Weiner Norman Guy Spin
Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who knows a little something about recovering from public scandal, doesn’t think ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner has let enough time pass since his Twitter debacle to mount a political comeback.  * NY1 Online: Wise Guys Offer Advice to Anthony Weiner * Ex-Rep Weiner wife, Huma Abedin, "proud" to be married to him. Says he does all the laundry. Couple is "normal family."  * Weiner denies he's planning a political comeback... (PM Wire) * Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner gave a joint interview to People Magazine.  * Michael Goodwin says that Weiner for mayor float is  ”insane, a reflection of Weiner’s inflated sense of self-importance and lack of remorse.” * Weiner is not only on baby duty, but he’s also doing all the laundry, according to his wife, Huma Abedin, who says: “It took a lot of work to get to where are are today, but I want people to know we’re a normal family…I’m proud to be married to him.”* The Anthony Weiner Image-Rehab Tour Hits People Magazine(NY Maq) * Weiner Speaks About Scandal and Dismisses Reports of Campaign(NYT) * John McCain slammed Michele Bachmann for suggesting that Huma Abedin was part of a conspiracy with the Muslim Brotherhood.

M.T.A. Opens Front of MetroCard to Advertising(NYT)

Blogger Chris Bragg, Daily Show and Liz Just Got Hank Sheinkopf Some More Clients Because He is So Loveable

Clueless Clients go to Sheinkopf because he is in the news or on TV.  Not because he wins races.  Just asked Rory Lancman or Town's daughter victims of his latest bomb campaigns.  You got to hand it to Mr. Taking the 5th Hank he is the master of the stunts to get in the news. Hank Sheinkopf: “People Certainly Know Me As The Terminator” (City and State) *  Hank ‘The Terminator’ Sheinkopf(YNN)

 
The Teflon Media Darling Sheinkopf Game the System and Everyone

Yesterday Lancman's Campaign Strategy was to Go Silent on the Ticket Splitting Issue. His Consultant Sheinkopf Has Experience of Losing and Yes Going Silent . . .

The NYP Fails to say that the lobbyist political consultant Sheinkopf took the 5th when asked questions by the NY former state Inspector General Joseph Fisch about the AEG scandal which is being investigated by the feds as part of the AEG investigation.  The Feds are also investigating a Board Of Election (the cesspool of political corruption) contract for new machines that Sheinkopf was a lobbyist for. Feds investigate switch by Board of Elections ... - New York Post  

From the Village Voice (Barrett, 11/10/2010)

"Sheinkopf copped a memo, too, obtaining it from an aide to the top Senate staffer, Angelo Aponte, who Sheinkopf personally installed in the key spot. He had the power to do that because the skillful Sheinkopf doubles as a lobbyist and as a political consultant, and had advised Senate Democrats in the elections that led to the 2008 majority, helping to make Malcolm Smith majority leader. Sheinkopf collected $356,741 in consulting fees from the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee at the same time that he was representing AEG and its precursor with Senate Democrats. Having worked for Bill Thompson and Mike Bloomberg most recently, Sheinkopf makes kings so he can then make deals with the kings he’s made." 

e
Weiner Sexist Statue Moved, Tweet That Nude

Controversial statue to move from Queens to Brooklyn(NYDN) Weiner Called for a twenty-foot marble statue of a nude man–standing atop two women–to be removed and placed on the “free stuff” section of Craigslist.






Village plan gets grow-ahead(NYP) * N.Y.U. Expansion Plan Wins Key Council Panel Vote(NYT) * City Council Committees Approve NYU Expansion Plans(NY1) * The News lambasts "obstructionist" locals who helped reduce New York University's expansion plans, which passed a key City Council committee:





Curtis Sliwa: More Asian Kids in PS is the Reason Why Test Scores are Rising

Charter Schools Celebrate Test Score Gains(NYT) * Student Test Scores Jump in New York(WSJ) Test results for third through eighth-graders across the state and in New York City improved this year according to state education data, amid concerns about the exam’s length and erroneous questions, the Wall Street Journal writes* Local Public School Students Improve On English, Math Tests Yet Still Lag Behind State Averages(NY1) * Giving up on schools will lead to failure (NYDN) * The News wishes public school administrators had the same authority as charter schools to run their schools the way they see fit in order to maintain test score gains * Test scores jumped in New York, a result that Mike Bloomberg said was a testament to his education policies.  * Public school students show slight gains in math and reading (NYDN) * With Latest Test Scores, Bloomberg Sees 'Very Positive' …(NYT) 

• Brooklyn after-school programs get largest $4.1M cut in (NYDN) 

In Graying Priesthood, New York’s Grayest Keeps Faith in Bronx(NYT)





At Con Ed, the Managers Are Tasked With Repairs(NYT) * Politicians Call On Con Ed To End Lockout(NY1) * Con Ed urged the Public Service Commission to reject a union petition that would end the lockout of workers.  * Unions rally in support of Con Ed workers(WABC) * ConEd asked the PSC to deny its union’s request to end a lockout of 8,500 workers, saying it has no basis in law.

The Making of a President 2012

Christie’s Brashness Blunts Hopes to Join Ticket(NYT) * Democrats Propose Plan to Sidestep Anti-Tax Pledge(NYT) * Who’s on America’s Side?(NYT) Mitt Romney’s banking on harsh attacks to help him in his White House bid, but, unfortunately, it’s a Swiss account. * Chris Christie’s “continued hostile encounters” have blunted his veep ambitions. *  He is apparently being eyed for the keynote spot at the RNC. * National Journal names eight House seats in New York that could determine control of the chamber.  * Dick Cheney urged the House GOP to say no to automatic defense cuts.   * An in-depth report on how Romney goes about making his veep selection. *  It seems as if Rubio was never on the shortlist. *  The WSJ wants Romney to talk more about Bain.  * Lawmakers face tough August primary contests(The Hill) *Charles Krauthammer To O’Reilly: If Election Were Held Tomorrow, Obama Would Win * John Sununu, Juan Williams Battle Over Obama’s ‘You Didn’t Build That’ Remark About Businesses * McCain: I Chose Palin Because She Was The Better Candidate, Not Because Of Romney’s Tax Returns * Silver To Select Assembly Dems: Skip National Convention(YNN) * Queens Shooting Involving Off-Duty FBI Agent Under Investigation(NY1) * Christie’s Brashness Blunts His Hopes to Run With Romney(NYO)

Bitter NYT Talks Take An Unexpected Twist(Huff Post) * Newspaper Guild: New York Times ‘Blows Up Talks’(Fishbowl)

Deranged mugger knifes gal on UES(NYP) * Woman Is Stabbed on Upper East Side(NYT) * Man randomly douses, slashes woman in UES(NYDN)* Man randomly douses, slashes woman in UES

Gal snaps PATH perv(NYP)* Cops Search For Homeless Man Who Stabbed Woman Walking On (WABC) Breaking DNAinfo.com New York ‏@DNAinfo Suspect Arrested in Stabbing of 25-Year-Old Woman on the #UpperEastSide reports @JulieShapiro http://ow.ly/cjWQa #UES @NYPD

One man hit in back after trio broke into car to steal radio in Queens: cops(NYP)* Dozens Are Charged in Medicaid Drug Scheme(NYT) * Widespread Drugs Fraud Is Alleged(WSJ) *  Three Arrested In Latest Incident At McCarren Pool(NY1) * Slay suspect’s a bus goon, too Double-slay susp a goon too:(NYDN) * Cops hunt livery driver in Qns. rape try (NYDN) * Cop killer faces another 25 years in jail (NYDN) * Operation Impact cops making an impact in the Bronx(NYDN) * Police had to use pepper spray to stop a McCarren Park pool fight. *Off-duty FBI agent involved in Queens shooting: report(NYP) * Woman sexually assaulted in Queens motel(Fox 5) * Search for thief who beat, robbed elderly woman(WABC) * Off-Duty FBI Agent Shoots Suspect in Queens(NBC) * Cabbie Sought in Astoria Rape Attempt(NBC) * Off-Duty F.B.I. Agent Involved in Shooting in Queens(NYT)



PATH perv nabbed for 169th time (NYDN)

Med scam hits city Rx shops(NYP) * Four Dozen Defendants Charged In Prescription Drug Ring (NY1)