Albany: Cover Up To Get Pay Hike

Unlike Watergate where the Washington Post Drove the Story the Media Blackout in the Past Couple of Weeks of the Hush Money Lopez Story Has Allowed Albany to Dive the Story

Pay Hikes What Hush $$$
Salary hikes for pols hinge on Silver probe(Dicker, NYP) The Joint Commission on Public Integrity’s investigation of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s “confidential” cash settlement with two women who accused Assemblyman Vito Lopez of Brooklyn of sexual harassment will likely wrap up before the Nov. 6 elections, The Post has learned. State lawmakers, sources said, want the probe finished by then to clear the way for a special legislative session right after the elections that could vote to grant lawmakers a much-anticipated pay raise.

A source close to JCOPE said the agency was working “full-bore’’ on the probe, which is designed, in part, to determine if Silver violated state ethics laws or criminal statutes in approving the $103,080 payment, which was not made public.  Some key officials speculate that JCOPE will determine Silver’s settlement wasn’t illegal or even “secret’’ — as has been charged by critics — since aides to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli reviewed portions of the settlement in advance.

NYT Does Not Talk About Their Conspicuous Silence on the Hush Gate Story After Breaking It.  But does talk about  a conspicuous silence from religious leaders who have regularly cooperated with him politically in Brooklyn, notably Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn * The Lopez mess has turned the spotlight back to the 2003 rape case against former Silver counsel Michael Boxley and the guidelines enacted in its aftermath to protect victims.

In Brooklyn, Lopez’s Ties To a Bishop Seem Frayed(NYT)The bishop went as far as recording a robocall in 2009 in support of a City Council candidate Mr. Lopez was backing, and when he was recently asked, through a spokesman, what he thought about the allegations, he responded with a carefully worded statement. “There is no place in our society for sexual harassment,” said Bishop DiMarzio, who has led the diocese, which also includes Queens, since 2003.

What About the Pfizer Deal?  Is Bloomberg Silence on Lopez Connected to the Eminent Domain No Bid Deal He Made With Lopez on the Pfizer Site?

Vito switched in 2008 on legislation allowing victims of sexual abuse by Priests to Sue church. Legislation would have extended Statute of limitations. Now its stalled. Vito & Bishop did that deal. Heavy stuff !! Mr. Lopez was seeking to control development of the Broadway Triangle — progress on the plan has now stalled — and Bishop DiMarzio was seeking to defeat the bill on the statute of limitations, sponsored by Assemblywoman Margaret M. Markey, Democrat of Queens, which could have made the church vulnerable to hundreds of millions of dollars in legal liability to compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse.*Vito Power Stalls Broadway Triangle | Vito Lopez and his Hour-of ... (2010)* Assemblyman Vito Lopez made good on his secretly-recorded threat ... * Greenpoint Gazette:Broadway Triangle Opponents Square Off(2011) * Council Approves Controversial Broadway Triangle Plan: Gothamist(2009) * Passions Remain High as Child Victims Act Is Derailed After Bruising Fight (NYT)


After Threats to Remover Her Bill to Eliminate the Statute of Limitations Assemblywoman Markey Was Hospitalized

Mr. Lopez, who had previously supported the Markey bill, changed his mind in 2008.  Mr. Lopez was seeking to control development of the Broadway Triangle — progress on the plan has now stalled — and Bishop DiMarzio was seeking to defeat the bill on the statute of limitations, sponsored by Assemblywoman Margaret M. Markey, Democrat of Queens, which could have made the church vulnerable to hundreds of millions of dollars in legal liability to compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse. Mr. Lopez, who had previously supported the Markey bill, changed his mind in 2008. In 2008, Bishop DiMarzio recorded a call to voters in Assemblywoman Markey’s district. It did not directly mention her opponent, Anthony Nunziato, a Republican, but urged constituents “to vote for a candidate that demonstrates Catholic values,” Ms. Markey said.

The Lincoln Recount Continues

The NYT reporter Sharon Otterman said that another of Lopez religious friend had no comment about  sexual scandal involving the former Brooklyn Boss.  What the reporter does not understand that Rabbi David Niederman already spoke in the Democratic Primary when he got 5300 of his supporters out to vote against Lincoln Restler.  Currently Restler is 31 votes behind Lopez's candidate Olechowsky. The Recount starts at the BOE on Thursday.  The only other hand recount under the new voting system was in the Storobin Fidler special found only 3 vote difference.  Both sides will be back in court on October 18 where Rensler's dream team of lawyers Martin Connors, Aron Maslow and Jerry Goldfeder and Larry Mandelker will try to prove a fraud case. The reason for the late court date is if there is an ordered rerun it does not have to be run before or at the same time as the general elections.  It is only money.  If the campaign were held on the general election date advantage Restler. The Zalman pull would not matter that much when everyone votes. So now you have an idea what is going on.


Bloomberg Endorses Grace Meng for Congress
.@Dan_Halloran slams @mikebloomberg @Grace4NY nod, calling him a "Super Nanny State advocate" on soda, congestion pricing & bike lanes 

Campaign 2012 The New York State Teachers Federation is giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to Senate Democrats, including $500,000 to state Sen. Joseph Addabbo, in order to help them retake the senate, the Daily News State Teachers Union To Put Mega Money Behind Senate Dems the union is making the move because the Senate GOP backed the governor’s pension reform plan. * One of Councilman Eric Ulrich’s supporters declared a massive billboard for his State Senate campaign in Ozone Park made him “winner of the biggest political ad.” * Soon-to-be NY Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj has biz skills rare for a pol: he runs a real estate brokerage(CrainsNY) *Cohen Mails On Gropez Scandal (Updated)(YNN) * Senate Dems, NYSUT Teaming Up(YNN) * Bloomberg doesn't want disorderly sub-adults running the State Senate(Capital) Bloomberg today said the State Senate Democrats must prove they're not children if they want to run the chamber again. * John Gotti, Jr. Attends State Senate Candidate’s Fundraiser [UPDATED] Aurelio “Tony” Arcabascio, the Republican challenger to Queens state Sen. Mike Gianaris, had an usual guest at a fundraiser for his campaign this weekend: John Gotti, Jr.* Curtis Sliwa was infuriated to learn that John Gotti Jr. attended a fundraiser this weekend for Aurelio “Tony” Arcabascio, the Republican challenger to Queens state Sen. Mike Gianaris. * Wendy Long thinks Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s first NYC TV ad is more proof that the senator “likes to have it both ways.” * Halloran Blasts Mayor For Endorsement of Opponent(Queens Poltics) * Addabbo, Ulrich Say They Won't Toe Party Lines(Gotham Gazette)



 

NYC Mayor's Race 2013: Who's Vying To Replace Michael Bloomberg?(Huff Post)

 




State board upholds Bill Thompson's $600K poster fines: sources (NYP) Former Comptroller Bill Thompson -- one of the top contenders in the 2013 race for mayor -- has lost another attempt to quash nearly $600,000 in fines for plastering public property with illegal posters in his 2009 campaign for City Hall. Sources.


DiNapoli Steps Into the  Carrozza Residency Scandal

Scandal pol for DiNapoli(NYP) An ex-state Assembly member who quit over a residency scandal two years ago is heading back into the political scene, helping raise money for state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.  Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza drops tax break plea on Queens home





Why Not Make All Member Items Funds Participatory Budgeting Funds

Four Councilmembers Join Participatory Budgeting Program (City and State)

The new MTA prohibition is loaded with so many ambiguities and subjective judgments as to render it laughable.  What constitutes a “reasonable” expectation of violence? Seems like that’s left entirely to the MTA’s judgment.
Joe Lhota wimps out(NYP Ed) The Post chides Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joe Lhota for allowing changes to the authority’s ad regulations that could further restrict free speech. “You deal with a free-speech issue with more free speech,” he said Thursday.  But then why did the Lhota-led MTA board unanimously approve a new category of banned bus and subway ads that’s guaranteed to ensure less free speech? But the MTA’s policy instead now prohibits any ad that “contains material the display of which the MTA reasonably foresees would immediately incite or provoke violence or other immediate breach of the peace.” * The News warns that the MTA must “stand with free speech” and must proceed with “great caution” in implementing its new subway ad policies: * Alan Dershowitz thinks the MTA's new advertising policies will incite people to violence:

Commuters Prepare For Higher PATH Fares (NY1) PATH train riders will have have to pay more for their rides starting Monday morning, as the fare for a single ride paid with cash or a MetroCard is increasing by a quarter to $2.25. * New PATH Fares In Effect As Part Of Planned Port Authority(WCBS)

The Post cheers incoming firefighters but jeers Judge Nicholas Garaufis for “exceeding his authority”

New York City will soon be able to hire people to fight fires. That shouldn’t be an amazing fact, but it is: For the past four years, a federal judge has blocked the city from taking on any new recruits, claiming its hiring process — particularly, its entrance exam — was biased against minorities. The last time New York City hired a firefighter was in 2008.  Frankly, it’s a wonder how the city managed since then. But on Friday, Judge Nicholas Garaufis condescended to approve the city’s latest revision of its firefighter entrance exam. About time. * Battle Erupts Over Who Gets First Dibs In FDNY Hiring Effort(NY1) At issue is whether the black and Latino firefighters, who previously took the test, should be given priority on the list of eligible candidates. * Fire Department Split Over Whether Minority Applicants Who Took Old Entrance Exam Should Be FDNY's Newest Hires (NY1) * A Day to Speak Out on Fire Dept. Bias Case(NYT)

Cuomo Approves NYRA Take Over(YNN)

Daily News Investigation of NYCHA Causes Repairs

Housing Authority Chairman John Rhea announced he will pursue $500 million in federal funds for building repairs, two years after he decided against going after the money, the News NYC Housing Authority boss John Rhea passed on fed fund *  Rhea’s big promises   Chairman's plans to raise revenue for the troubled housing authority had better pan out

NYT & dozen other news orgs send letter to #NYPD voicing concern over police-press relations http://bit.ly/QHzjNe * NYPD Vs. Journalists: NPPA Sends Letter To Ray Kelly Denouncing Police Abuse Of The Press(Huff Post)









Mr. Cuomo is consigning fracking to oblivion

Shift by Cuomo on Gas Drilling Prompts Both Anger and Praise(NYT) Energy industry and landowner groups are concerned Gov. Andrew Cuomo has shifted his tone against hydraulic fracking after state environmental officials announced they will restart the regulatory process. State Senator Adriano Espaillat, a member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, praised the governor’s decision in a statement: “When my constituents and I traveled to the Marcellus Shale region, this past August, and observed the process of hydrofracking and its impact, we saw first-hand the devastation brought on by fracking. This is a dangerous process that harms our environment and poses a grave risk to the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the land we live on. * Cuomo’s decision to hit the reset button on the regulatory rule-making phase of fracking approval has drawn cheers from the environmental movement, but angered the drilling industry.* A proposed fracking moratorium has sparked a fight in the tiny town of Union.* DEC Commissioner Joe Martens walked back last week’s news about New York hitting the reset button on fracking regulations. Now it all hinges on the DOH’s public health review, for which there is still no timetable.

Arena Opens, And Brooklyn Takes a Look(WSJ) Some with excitement, some with dread, Brooklyn residents had long awaited this weekend for the first signs of how the Barclays Center would shape its surrounding neighborhood.* Video: Barclays Center Opens With Jay-Z and Protests* Thanks to Barclays, "the [LIRR] carried 1,200 more people than normal into Atlantic Terminal Friday evening."

The Barclays Center officially opened its doors on Friday nine years after the plan to build the arena was unveiled in City Hall, but development at the rest of Atlantic Yards remains stalled. Scores of neighborhood activists including state Sen. Velmanette Montgomery, Councilwoman Letitia James, and Rev. Clinton Miller urged the state to conduct another environmental review of the second phase of the Atlantic Yards development and bring in multiple developers to help build 2,200 units of affordable housing on the site, wrestling some control from Forest City Ratner, which has two decades to complete the project. The Empire State Development Corporation will hold public hearings later this year to solicit input and participation in a new environmental review examining the impact the Atlantic Yards project has had on the community, but it is unclear whether the state would substantially amend the project.(City and State) * From The Archives: Atlantic Yards (Gotham Gazette) * NY1 Online: Barclays Center Developer Discusses Affordable Housing

Cuomo
The Cuomo administration is launching a new plan to enroll thousands of ex-cons in Medicaid once they leave prison but conservative critics say it gives prisoners no incentive to work, the Post reports: http://bit.ly/R67VWo * Cuomo having a BBQ at mansion with labor leaders http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2012/10/cuomo-hosting-labor-leaders-at-mansion/ … * Quietly, Gov. Cuomo Talked Campaign Finance Reform At State Capitol Meeting http://soc.li/0ExhMRJ 

After Decades of Acts Like Patti Smith and the Fugees, Silence for a Village Club(NYT)Kenny’s Castaways, a landmark of New York City’s Greenwich Village music scene, will close its doors in September after 45 years of business. The venue, which hosted the first NYC-area Phish show on March 31, 1988, Mike Gordon’s 2010 Mossery event, a recent Ben Harper show, as well as performances by the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Bruce Springstein, and many more is expected to close on September 30. According to the report, Kenny’s will become a new restaurant/music venue called Carroll Place.

 

New York Has Disproportionate Number of Residents in Shelters, Report Finds(NYT)


Former Asst. Principal To Be Fired For Inappropriate Contact With Student(NY1)

 

Transfer Tunnel Not Opening Until WTC Towers Do, MTA Says (NY1)

 

 

 

  Fear planned Queens stadiums will endanger parkland(NYDN)

A Love for Public Transit of the Aboveground Variety(NYT) Eleven buses and those who loved them were stationed in Brooklyn for the New York Transit museum’s 19th annual celebration of buses old and new.

MTA bus drivers tell of being regularly attacked on job, call for more protection | STORY/VIDEO: (NBC)

Daily News Pushing Picture of Nude Mountain Climbers to Gain Views

Larry King’s Boyhood Home? No, Not a Landmark(NYT) A wall in Brooklyn often thought to date to a Brooklyn Dodgers stadium has been repeatedly suggested for landmark status. But an investigation determined it was tied to a less notable team, the Tip Tops.

Junk-food galore at Brooklyn private hospitals(NYDN)





Presidential Debate Fever Arrives(Huff Post)

Obama’s New York visits cost millions(NYP) President Obama’s frequent trips to New York City, including official trips and fund-raisers, have cost the Port Authority $2 million in additional security at Kennedy Airport* Chris Christie predicts Romney will win first debate with Obama(NYP) * Probe O over Libya, Ryan demands(NYP) * Payroll Tax Cut Is Unlikely to Survive Past Jan. 1 Deadline(NYT) * U.S. May Have Put Mistaken Faith in Libya Site’s Security(NYT) * Tired Cries of Bias Don’t Help Romney(NYT) * Fearing Rigged Election, Georgians Go to Polls(NYT) * Obama’s Libya Controversy Sparks More Squabbling in Romney Camp(NY Mag)

Tight Race as First Debate Approaches - Cohen & Balz, Washington Post
What Obama Needs to Do in Denver - Alexis Simendinger, RealClearPolitics
Defining the Debate Game - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
Obama's Poker Tells - Hugh Hewitt, Washington Examiner
Romney Can't Escape Narrative of Failure - Howard Kurtz, The Daily Beast
The Media Is Desperately Against Romney - Ben Stein, American Spectator

The Real Referendum in November - Paul Krugman, New York Times
Perot's Economic Stance Resonates 20 Yrs Later - Richard Wolf, USA Today
Michigan Is Next Battleground In State Labor Wars - Shikha Dalmia, WSJ
Hollande Pushes France Into Depression - A. Evans-Pritchard, Telegraph
Why the European Debt Crisis Is Nowhere Near Over - Michael Sivy, Time
Wheels Coming Off Obama's Natl Security Cred - Michael Walsh, NY Post
Gen. Allen "Mad as Hell" Over Insider Attacks - Lara Logan, 60 Minutes
Debates Can Shift Race's Outcome, But It's Not Easy - John Harwood, NYT
The Particulars of Polls - Michael Barone, Washington Examiner
Amid Debt Crisis, Paul Ryan Sat on Sidelines - Lori Montgomery, Wash Post
Americans Struggling to Advance - Ronald Brownstein, National Journal
ABC/WP: Obama 49, Romney 47 | Battleground: Obama 49, Romney 47
Voting Six Weeks Early Is Insane - USA Today
Thought the Euro Crisis Was Under Control? Think Again - Bloomberg
Ideas for Reviving America's Entrepreneurial Spirit - The Economist
Will France Face the Facts? - Chicago Tribune
According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, President Obama and Mitt Romney remain at 49-47 heading into the first debate Wednesday, but swing state voters across the nation side with the president 52-41. * Great Romney staff quotes from @zekejmiller: “If he doesn’t bring it, I’m going to be looking for a job"

Bloomberg editorial: Obama's failure on transparency, FOILs. Would get much more attention if he was a Republican. 

Scott Rasmussen ‏@RasmussenPoll Daily Tracking: #Obama: 50%, #Romney: 47%... http://tinyurl.com/preztrack

Meet the Ohio voters who are killing Romney's campaign(The Atlantic)
Mitt Romney Is Winning and Losing Debate Expectations Game(NY Mag)
Debate Could Test Two Romney Weaknesses, Talking and Thinking(New Yorker)
Conservatives want this Libya spot on TV … (Buzz Feed)
Wash Post Jennifer Rubin on what Romney needs to do in Wednesday night's debate(Wash Post)
AFL-CIO is targeting #Romney’s "47 percent" remark in direct-mail campaign in swing states
Romney slams Obama over Middle East chaos, calls for new course(NYP)
Afghan bomber kills 14, including 3 American troops
Whistle-Blower Lawyers Throw Support Behind Obama(NYT)
For 2012 Presidential Debates, Campaigns Speed Up The Spin(Huff Post)
Poll: Race tightens; Obama ahead by three(The Hill)
Romney Broadens Focus as Economic Argument Sputters(NYT)
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is more worried about Mitt Romney than his football team.
Make Obama Own the Bad Economy - David Harsanyi, Human Events
Why the Economy Is No Longer an Issue - Smith & Miller, BuzzFeed
It's Over. President Obama Will Be Reelected - Cenk Uygur, Huffington Post
Christie's Message to Obama: "Stop Lying" - Mary Katharine Ham, Hot Air
Romney Needs New Policies, Not Debate Zingers - Ezra Klein, Wash Post
In Tight Race, Debates Loom Large - Steven Shepard, National Journal
Bigger Than the Debates? Friday's Jobs Report - Robert Reich, Salon
Is the U.S. Already in a New Recession? - Christopher Matthews, Time
The Only Way to Fight the Fed? Own Gold - Bill Fleckenstein, MSN Money
Scarborough's Dishonest Defense of False Romney Attack - John Nolte, BJ
Just How Racist Is the 'Obama Phone' Video? - Elspeth Reeve, The Atlantic
When All Criticisms of Obama Are Racist - Derek Hunter, NY Daily News
Generic Vote: Rasmussen: GOP +4 | Politico: Dems +2 | RCP House Map

Florida	49.8	46.8	Obama +3.0
Ohio	49.3	43.8	Obama +5.5
Virginia	48.0	44.6	Obama +3.4
New Hampshire	48.7	45.7	Obama +3.0
Iowa	48.5	45.0	Obama +3.5
Colorado	48.8	45.6	Obama +3.2

Wisconsin	51.0	44.3	Obama +6.7
Michigan	52.0	42.0	Obama +10.0
Pennsylvania	50.2	42.2	Obama +8.0
Missouri	43.0	50.3	Romney +7.3
Nevada	49.0	45.0	Obama +4.0
North Carolina	47.3	48.0	Romney +0.7

The Kennedy-Nixon Debates: Game Changers(Time)
A 33 Percent Chance of Mitt(Vanity Fair) Stats whiz Nate Silver tells us that Mitt Romney has a “one-in-three chance” of getting the presidency—odds so bad, you wouldn’t get on a plane with them.
Mitt Romney’s Garbage Man No Fan of Mitt Romney(Vanity Fair)
Debate Prep: Six lessons for Obama(Wash Post)
A short history of October surprises(Mother Jones)
Senate Leaders at Work on Plan to Avoid ‘Fiscal Cliff’(NYT)

‘‘The. Polls. Have. Stopped. Making. Any. Sense.’’(NY Mag) American politics has gone gaga for poll numbers—while polling pros feel less and less certain about the methodology behind the madness. Some days even Nate Silver is left scratching his head.

 

  Roger Stone ‏@RogerJStoneJr Dick Morris predicts Romney victory in Ohio, Pa, Va, Fla, Nev on FOX-- deeply delusional

The Real Referendum(NYT) It looks as if President Obama could emerge with a clear mandate to protect the social safety net.  

JPMorgan Chase Lawsuit: New York Attorney General's Suit Is First For Task Force(Huff Post) * Suit Alleges Misconduct by Bear Stearns in Mortgage Case(NYT)

"We could even lose our country if we don’t get this fixed and straightened out and nobody that’s running really talks about it" Ross Perot

No More Sucking Sound . . .  Now Take Over 
Ross Perot: No 2012 endorsement(Politico) Perot is an equal-opportunity critic, unimpressed with both President Barack Obama and Romney when it comes to addressing the nation’s red ink. * Perot's economic stance resonates 20 years later (USA Today)

The Times memorializes its beloved former publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, for his “unyielding battle” against government censorship and intimidation * The Times remembers and memorializes its late publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, here, here and here.* The difference between Punch and Pinch  * Punch Sulzberger and the Pentagon Papers(NYT)

Law and Order
Update
Arrest Made in Robberies Using Hypodermic Needle(NYT)

COP SHOT founder: police in peril 'like old New York'  (NYP) The spate of NYPD cops wounded in the line of duty this year has brought back horrible memories of the city’s bad old days to the founder of the nonprofit group COP SHOT.

Never, never, never (NYDN ED)  Never. That’s when the four-man killing squad that executed Police Officer Edward Byrne at the order of a drug kingpin should be released from prison


The Real Keys to the City
Lock away these NYC keys! (NYP) Angry city officials yesterday vowed to close dangerous loopholes that could allow terrorists unfettered access to subway gates, firehouses and any building elevator using “master” keys meant only for authorized personnel.

Judge Rules That Mass Arrests at a 2004 Protest Were Illegal(NYT)

Pizza delivery teen's sickening claim: 'I was horny' (NYP) * Teen pizza delivery boy accused of Manhattan rape confessed,(NYDN)

WATCH: Thug's gun fight caught on camera(NYP)

Bronx bodega worker shot on first day at work (NYP)

Bronx Woman Charged With Arson, Manslaughter(NY1)

Queens teacher suing city claiming he was beaten up by a first-grader(NYP)

Charges Dropped in Lohan Row(WSJ) * Reports: Charges Dropped Against Man Accused Of Assaulting (WCBS)

Gal held in fatal fire(NYP) * Girlfriend Charged in Man’s Death(NYT) * Manhattan Thief With Needle May Be Responsible For Bronx Robberies(NY1) * Suspect sought in shooting of Fordham deli clerk (News12) * Cops question man suspected of robbing people using hypodermic needle(NYP) * Man Sought In Connection With 2011 Brooklyn Stabbing (NY1) * LES girlfriend-butcher's chilling confession played publicly for 1st time(NYP) * Girl Struck By Stray Bullet While Doing Homework ReturnsWCBS) * Brooklyn Subway Phone Robber Slashed Victim: Police(NBC)

Suspect wanted in B'klyn iPhone rob-stab(NYP)