Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Tuesday, True News Updates 24/7















  • Obama sends Secretary of State Clinton to Mideast to try to end conflict(NYP) * Clinton to Visit Middle East in Move to Defuse Gaza Conflict(NYT) * Hillary Clinton to Travel to Middle East * Hillary Clinton Deployed to Middle East to End Gaza Conflict(NY Mag) 
  • *Hope for Truce Seen in Gaza Talks Even as Fighting Rages(NYT)
  • *Obama Drawn Into a Conflict He Avoided (NYT)


    • Hevesi: I Got Arrogant(YNN)*
    Hank Morris, the ringleader in a massive pay-to-play state pension fund scandal, got divorced from his wife during his time in prison.








    Sandy Increases Unemplolyment in New York 
    The number of New Yorkers seeking unemployment benefits jumped by 46,000 – or  approximately 33 percent – in the week following Superstorm Sandy, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (Or maybe it was 50,000?)


    Who Will Lead the State Senate?
    Cuomo To Senate: Pick A Leader, Then Function(YNN) * John Sampson makes the case for a Democrat-controlled state Senate he appears very unlikely to lead come Jan. 1.

    JCOPE Complaint Alleges DiNapoli Benefitted From Pressuring Chevron(YNN)

     


    If You Were A Tree What Kind of Tree Would You Be?

    Softball Interview with  Gov Talk: A Q&A With David Paterson(City and State)

    True News Questions: When you apporved AEG for Gambling Aqueduct was there a deal for Queens power broker former Congressman Rev. Flake endorsment of your candidacy for governor? Where you involved in witness tampering in a case involving your former assistent Johnson?  Is there a conflict with you sitting on the MTA board and your father represting their union?

     City and State's Questions
    Looking back, how would you want your time as governor remembered by history? 
    How would you evaluate the state’s response to Superstorm Sandy?
    It’s refreshing to hear that you still have your idealism.



    Quinn Who Still Funds Grope Vito Lopez Machine Now Gives Him A Sweet Heart District to Run in And Says She Has Nothing to Do With It
    Three Brooklyn City Council members close to him allocated $873,589 of their “member item” funds to the group. Leading the pack was Erik Dilan, who challenged Velasquez with Lopez’s backing. Last year, the state delivered $845,806 in three discretionary grants. Lopez still runs Brooklyn threw Seddio.  His Bushwick Williamsberg alliance with Rabbi Neieldman and DA Hynes keeps him a player in the game. * Vito Lopez Uses Government Funds to Run His Machine(True News)


    Council move would help her & ‘grope’ pol . . . Is Everyone Helping Vito Lopez Get A Soft Landing?
     Quinn poised for Vito vote boost (NYP) Politics really does make strange bedfellows. Christine Quinn, who wants to be the first female mayor of New York, is expected to give her blessing to a district change that would help the political career of Vito Lopez — who is accused of sexually
    harassing four female staffers.  The redistricting could help elect the alleged lecher to the City Council. In return, Quinn would curry favor with what’s left of Lopez’s Brooklyn political machine for her mayoral campaign. * Commission Approves Revised District Map for City Council(NYT) Silver the AG and Comptroller want Lopez out of Albany to keep the Hush Fund payment story from being repeated in the press.  Why are the progressives and reform silent on Vito Lopez since the election? * Assemblyman Vito Lopez denied knowledge of any sort of plan to change his district boundary and boost his chances for a future City Council run, the Post reports: http://bit.ly/Qr9oLG


    Quinn told The Post yesterday that she had nothing to do with moving the district line
    “I think that is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard,” she said when asked of Lopez’s reputed council aspirations and of her own role in abetting them. “He wouldn’t get three votes!  Lopez won re-election to his Assembly seat this month with 90 percent of the vote, despite two probes in a sex-harassment controversy that left him stripped of his influential housing-committee chairmanship, 22,455 Votes. Quinn appoints five members of the redistricting commission. Mayor Bloomberg appointed seven members. The remaining three were appointed by the council’s minority leader, James Oddo. Bloomberg helped lopez get a non bid contract for the pfizer site. "I will campaign day and night to keep this serial sexual harrasser from entering the City Council," Quinn said through a spokesperson. Council Approves Controversial Broadway Triangle Plan: Gothamist\ Interesting possiblilites of Blackmailing the mayor here. No wonder Vito got his district. * THE PEREZ NOTES: Lets Make A Deal in the 7th CD El Diario NY

    An Act Of God Stops Albany Pay Hikes, Interesting
    Sandy sinks pol pay hike(NYP) Hurricane Sandy has claimed another victim — but this time, there won’t be many tears. Gov. Cuomo, preoccupied with the widespread damage caused by the fearsome storm, has decided not to call the much-anticipated special postelection session of the Legislature at which the salaries of state lawmakers — frozen since 1999 — were expected to be raised, The Post has learned. Cuomo has decided not to call a special session of the Legislature due to the damage incurred by Hurricane Sandy, meaning that a legislative pay raise, among other issues, is momentarily off the table *  Thanks to Cuomo’s focus on Sandy recovery and the confusion over control of the state Senate, the governor is reportedly not inclined to call a post-election special session. More here.*Cuomo: Special Session ‘Not Probable’(YNN)
    Into Sandy’s dustbin (NYP Ed) No pay raises for you, New York lawmakers.

    Meanwhile New York's Poor Get Poorer
    Report: Number Of New York City Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens Down 25 Percent In Five Years * New York’s Worst-In-The-Nation Income Inequality Getting Even Worse



     Delusional Bloomberg NYPD Phone system OK

    Mike: Chaos ‘perfect’(NYP) Bloomberg yesterday insisted that the city’s 911 system “functioned perfectly” during Hurricane Sandy — despite evidence of unanswered calls, clueless operators and deaths of people who couldn’t get help in time.

    New York City’s 911 system failed numerous callers during Hurricane Sandy by not answering calls, pawning calls off to the 311 non-emergency line, and scolding callers for not evacuating
    Some operators scolded callers for not evacuating, callers said
    City's swamped call center failed as lifeline for Sandy's victims(NYP)
    Among their shocking claims:
    * 911 calls rang and rang unanswered or were greeted by woefully unprepared operators.
    * Dispatchers from the police, fire and ambulance services feuded with one another.
    * At times, operators tried to pawn off calls to the city’s 311 non-emergency hot line.

    “They obviously weren’t trained for this kind of situation. . . . They’re kind of reading from a script,” fumed Diane Hudson, 45, who desperately tried to help her friend David Gotthelf, an elderly man afflicted with cerebral palsy, before he drowned in his Rockaway Park home.*
    911 operator: "U need 2 look 4 a raft or something..." Caller: "Well, I was hoping you might help with that."

    NYPD Spinner Blamed the Storm Victims
    A $2 Billion $$$ System Still Holds Callers in the Queue Even After They Hang Up?
    NYPD spokesman Paul Browne defended the handling of the calls
    “Instead of holding on as instructed by a recording during these peaks, callers hung up and redialed even through the recording cautioned against doing so because it put repeat callers back at the bottom of the queue and furthered overall delays,” he said.


    The NYP Forgets About Liu's NYPD's 911 Phone System Warning
    Liu's scathing audit of the 911 system overhaul, finding a key contractor soaked taxpayers, finding a key contractor soaked taxpayers with questionable, inflated bills.

    The Post ponders the legal situation of City Comptroller John Liu, while also questioning how he’s managed to avoid accountability for paying fines for posting campaign signs on city property

    The John Liu saga, cont’d.(NYP)Liu’s top moneyman, Oliver Pan, tried to have his felony conspiracy and wire-fraud charges thrown out last week — whining to a federal judge that FBI investigators had squeezed him so hard he had flashbacks to Communist China, where he grew up.
    Nice try: Judge Richard Sullivan wisely told the defense to ditch the “squishy stuff.” “This is a court of law, not a psychiatrist’s couch,” he said. “I was hoping you’d have more legal arguments here.” Liu owes the city $527,400 in fines he incurred for posting campaign signs on city property during his 2009 run — but he thinks a state court will wipe the debt away. * 911 Mega corruption I called FBI did nothing called Aug 20 911 ECTP (Troy)



    Media Covers the Horse Race Not the Issues in the Mayoral Campaign. . . Campaign Consultants on Steroids . . .  Media Issue Challenged
    Quinn's consultants "could barely contain their enthusiasm that Mr. Stringer’s withdrawal from the race left Ms. Quinn, a Chelsea resident, well-positioned to pick up Mr. Stringer’s Manhattan support." Consultants of Bill de Blasio, were equally bullish. They believe that Mr. de Blasio, a Park Slope resident, can now consolidate support from labor unions and some West Side liberals turned off by Ms. Quinn’s close alliance with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.  Consultants for William C. Thompson Jr.  believes that he can dominate the black and Latino Manhattan neighborhoods north of 96th Street where Mr. Stringer might have competed with him. Only Stringer Gave A Hint of the City's Weak Economy “The city faces serious economic and financial challenges, many of which have been made worse by the hurricane,”Stringer * Stringer's Exit Tightens the Mayoral Race(WSJ) * Manhattan Borough President Stringer Announces Run For City Comptroller(NY1) * Scott Stringer drops out of mayoral race(NYDN) * Scott Stringer announces run for comptroller, not mayor(WABC) * 2013 mayoral candidates on upgrading the city's storm/flood infrastructure in wake of Sandy The Post evaluates a perceived weak field of mayoral candidates in the wake of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer dropping out of the race: http://bit.ly/QqZrxH


    Campaign 2013  The New York City Housing Authority found 127 tenants in various public housing that required medical care due to being without power for weeks, sparking an outcry from Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, the News reports:  * The digital tools you need in 2013, from building websites to raising money to identifying key volunteers (City and State) * Fun fact: I believe Lancman actually carried Gennaro's seat in his congressional bid despite losing decisively overall  * Evan Thies takes New York elected officials to task for shying away from global warming as they call for renewed vigilance on climate change and the extreme weather it causes. * The new district lines, redrawn to reflect population shifts identified in the 2010 Census will be taken up by the City Council, which must approve or reject the plan in three weeks.  * Levin/Restler & City Council Redistricting (update 1) * Rafael Espinal Sets Up Council Campaign(NYO) * The Winners of Stringer's Mayoral Withdrawal(NY Mag) * Mark-Viverito Unhappy With Redistricting Changes to East Harlem (City and State) * Manhattan Borough President Stringer Announces Run For City Comptroller(NY1) His emergence as newly 'disenrolled' Dem threatens to turn the mayoral contest into 'The Hunger Games.'   #2013  Carrión’s new suit(NYP) * Fight for control of State Senate RT Assuming Tkaczyk (D) gained 87 votes, she now leads Amedore (R) by 33 votes overall* The recount in a state senate race that will help determine which party controls the chamber began yesterday as Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk gained an additional 60 votes on her Republican opponent, Assemblyman George Amedore, the Times-Union reports: http://bit.ly/TNKxfG *  In the Post, former Assemblyman Michael Benjamin examines Adolfo Carrión’s tough road ahead as a potential Republican mayoral candidate and how he can distinguish himself from the pack: http://bit.ly/Q6Aoi1 * The News’ Bill Hammond ponders whether the state Senate Democrats are fit to lead the chamber given their history of loose ethics and internal dysfunction: http://nydn.us/SMBwnD * Ruben Diaz, Jr. Won’t Run for Public Advocate(NYO) * Staten Island Gets Ferried Away: City Preparing New Shuttle Service for Hard Hit South Shore(NYO) * New York’s Mayoral Candidates Love Israel as Much as You Do, if Not More(NYO)
    * Court Expedites 46th SD Paper Ballot Count(YNN)
    * Bronx BP Diaz Jr. Seeking Re-election In 2013(YNN)
    * Sandy destroyed jobs too: Gov. Cuomo(NYP)
    Cuomo is taking a wait-and-see approach to the battle for control of the Senate, saying: “Call me old fashioned, but I still think we should count the votes.
    Heated Brooklyn rematch looming in 2013?  Rafael Espina








    Mayorial Candidates on Education

    Free Association, No Follow Up
    . draws first applause by saying next chancellor must be an educator* .: i would reduce the ratio of guidance counselors to kids. * Quinn: "clearly progress has been made-but not enough." mayoral control is "a good thing," but parents don't feel like their voices r heard * . says answer is unclear if schools have improved but so many benchmarks have changed "it's like comparing apples to oranges"* Thompson: "the promise of mayoral control has not be realized..." there is an excessive focus on test taking & students need remediation.* Liu: some schools are better off, others are not. Hard to measure. "I'd reduce the over-emphasis on high-stakes exams," & stop colocations.* Allon: breaking up schools into smaller schools was "the wrong path." teacher training is the "fundamental problem,"--not teacher evaluation* ., on 1st Q - are NYC schools better than 10 yrs ago? - says answer is complicated but "we cannot continue the status quo"* I'd reduce prep testing and change the tone "that vilifies teachers," and create an early warning system for struggling schools* DeBlasio: improve/ expand early childhood Ed and after school Ed.* 2013 Mayoral Candidates Assemble to Discuss Education Policy(NYO) * On education, the mayoral candidates vie to be the un-Bloomberg (Capital) * Likely Mayoral Contenders Suggest Improving Bloomberg’s Leadership of Schools(NYT)



    Not One Candidate Points to Programs That Have Worked in Other Schools, Just What They Believe Will Work
     Tom Allon: eliminate testing in grades 1-5 and increase language and science instruction. Teachers must have two years of experience.* Quinn: Raab has done an incredible job at Hunter...if we said "only an educator," we would have ruled her out of that job.* . draws cackles from some in crowd when he mentions john white as being on his short list, as well as jennifer raab* would hire an educator, maybe from DOE, maybe not. "working for DOE would neither get you the job or not get you it."* John Liu has a "short list" of people he would appoint as chancellor. Didn't name names.* If elected, Bill de Blasio pledges public vetting of his chancellor candidate.* How would you address the union contract? : jury is out on merit pay. Would want to reform tenure process and create systems to* : would weaken tenure, would support merit pay system.* . : you have to have some form of tenure...and merit pay raises the questioned how you measure merit. Tricky.* . : " Newark deserves to be heralded," bc unions, philanthropists and gov came to the table. "it's a model of behavior &process" * Watch Yesterday’s 2013 Education Forum

    Thompson Why Did Reading Grades Drop During the Time Your Were President of the Board of Education
    : tenure should be granted, but Teachers need more professional development support do they don't leave.* . says the colocation process is emblematic of disenfranchisement of city parents. "We need a high level of parent engagement."* : teachers who are at tougher schools should make more money. Broader merit pay "is not something I'm comfortable w/" now.* . : " Newark deserves to be heralded," bc unions, philanthropists and gov came to the table. "it's a model of behavior &process"* : problem that some charters look, feel better than schools they share buildings w/. Colocations have to be done different* Allon: I would prioritize reducing class size to below 20 for 1st & 2nd grade, but probably couldn't do it for all grades.* DeBlasio: parents really want lower class sizes. Fund it by finding things that are in DOE, undoing Bloomberg era expenses, i.e. consultants* . urges giving CECs more "meaningful role" and power under mayoral control, in way community boards do on land use issues * Like other candidates, Quinn would prioritize lower grades for lower class sizes-- Pre-K through 3.* Quinn, continued: Then DOE budget "would be illuminated like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree."* . says that mayoral control should be renewed by , not Albany * Thompson: I don't know if anyone can tell me what the goal of the DOE is this year besides raising test scores and grad rate.



     Why Albany Does Not Support Public Financing
     Citizens Union: NYC Elections More Competitive(YNN) * City Council incumbent re-election rate fell 10 points to 87% when public matching funds increased to 6:1 from 4:1, reports  * IOGA: Trust In State Government ‘Exhausted’ (Updated)



    Does the State Senate Run Through the Road to the 2016 White House ? . . . Liberals Left Attack Cuomo

    Andrew Cuomo, fake Democrat(Salon) New York's governor might lead his party in 2016. So why won't he fight for a state Senate majority they earned? * Add a new name to the growing list of Senate Democrats interested in deposing John Sampson as leader: Sen. Kevin Parker.* Chris Hayes Goes After Cuomo(YNN)* Gianaris Wouldn’t Blame Cuomo If Senate Goes To The GOP(YNN)  . on what it means when liberals attack Andrew Cuomo * Cuomo’s Left Flank Problems Nothing New * . defends from criticism *Andrew Cuomo Catches Flak From the Left, and Couldn’t Be Happier About It(NY Mag)
     





    I am sorry I Did Not Want You . . .  At First Mayor Told Pol FU No National Guard

    Hizzoner ‘F-bombs’ troop aid(NYP) When Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith asked the mayor to send the National Guard to patrol the Rockaways a day after Superstorm Sandy hit, Hizzoner said, “F--k you,’’ a source told The Post. Smith and other pols want the Nation Guard to stop the looting when Bloomberg was still dreaming of running the Marathon.  Marty Markowitz Calls on National Guard Troops to Help Stop the Looting(NYO) * Things were so bad, Smith told New York Post City Hall bureau chief David Seifman, "Someone even tried to break into my car with me in it." * NYC voters approve 53-2%, w 43% offering no opinion, of the job Bloomberg's sign language interpreter Lydia Callis is doing. * Mayor may hate sugary sodas, but he apparently doesn’t mind some salty language. * New Q poll: high marks for Christie, Obama, Cuomo & Bloomberg, in that order, and overall bump *  New Q poll: But hardest hit areas say government & relief efforts strongly favored Manhattan; in SI, it was 62-23 percent.* Most looting cases from Hurricane Sandy have been tossed out, with Brooklyn prosecuting only 7 of 22 cases, and Queens trying 5 of 15, as even the most publicized looting events have yielded little interest from the court, the News reports: http://nydn.us/1041UQe



    Viewing Damage, Biden Vows to Help Storm-Battered Areas(NYT) * For Pet Owners Left Homeless by Hurricane, a Temporary Home for the Animals(NYT) * Fear and Anxiety Amid Move to Raze Damaged Homes(NYT) * New York City Will Keep Gas Rationing Until Week’s End(NYT) * The Power Mess on Long Island (NYT Ed) Gov. Andrew Cuomo is right to call an investigation to determine why the state’s utilities left so many people in the dark for so long after Hurricane Sandy. The Times writes that Cuomo is to blame for many of the problems with the Long Island Power Authority’s lack of leadership, having failed to fill five board positions that remain open as well as a permanent chief executive  


    Clinton sees Sandy's devastation first-hand, gives back in Rockaways visit(NYP) * The NYT says a “dispassionate” review of LIPA by the Moreland Act Commission and/or AG Eric Schneiderman’s office will reveal the authority’s troubles begin and end in the governor’s own office. * Toll 'Worse Than We Thought'(WSJ) * Underneath Manhattan Buildings Lies a Thicket of Storm Problems(WSJ) Building managers say that custom-built mechanical systems hidden underneath dozens of Lower Manhattan high rises were destroyed during Hurricane Sandy, as up to 12 percent of the area’s residential buildings remain closed * SI residents: Homes damaged, but mail gets through(WSJ) * NYC gas rationing continues through Friday(WSJ) * Staten Islanders Ask City Officials To Remove Raw Sewage From Their Street(Ny1) * A Dozen Public Schools Closed By Sandy Set To Reopen Monday(NY1) * Sandy's effect on waterfront real estate(NYDN) * Labor needed in Rockaways(NYDN) *  Staten Island residents say they're impressed by the postal workers still delivering the mail in hardest-hit areas. (NBC) * When Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver took aim at ConEd for its Sandy response, they were indirectly criticizing a longtime friend and adviser, Michael DelGiudice, who is the highest-paid member of the utility’s board. *Sandy’s Smelly Aftermath: Raw Sewage Coats Staten Island Streets(NY Mag) * SI residents: Homes damaged, but mail gets through(SI Advance) * Deciding the Fate of Storm-Damaged Homes(NYT) * A Much Criticized Pocket of the Rockaways, Built to Survive a Storm(NYT) * In the wake of , the backup generator becomes a coveted amenity: (CrainsNY)*  Five hyperlocal NYC groups seeking Sandyrelief funds (NY World)
    Grassroots organizations offer well-grounded alternatives for donors looking to help storm-stricken communities * Bellevue Hospital Resumes Limited Outpatient Services * Louis CK decided to help "When your guy [Boro Prez James P. Molinaro] said 'Fuck the Red Cross!’" * Red Hook School Among Latest To Bring Displaced Students Back(NY1) * TA launches new rail service for stranded Far Rockaway resident  * NY1 For You: Brooklyn Tenants Endure Fourth Week Without Power As Landlord, Con Ed Quibble * Developing: New York City Housing Authority Announces Heat, Hot Water Has Been Restored To 100% Of Public Housing Affected By Sandy  *  3 February Vacation Days to Be Canceled in New York City Schools * School Officials, Educators' Union Agree On Plan To Make Up School Days Lost To Sandy * NYCHA: 97 Percent Of Public Housing Elevators Affected By Sandy Are Working Again   * Sinkhole cluster in Rockaways(NYDN) * Classes back in session for schools shut down by Sandy(NYDN) *
    Bellevue reopens to outpatients(NYDN) *  NYC DOE Announces Makeup Days Made Necessary By Hurricane (WABC) * MTA launches new rail service for stranded Far Rockaway (NYP) * FEMA trailers full of food and supplies untouched(WABC) *Owners contemplate rebulding or demolishing homes(WABC) * First look at Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy(WABC) *  Repairs underway after Sandy damages Intrepid(WABC) * NYC cuts winter break to make up lost school time(Fox 5) *
    Hospital Staffer Swims to Work in Sandy Floodwaters(NBC) *  I-Team: Flood Protection Projects Delayed, Unfunded(NBC) * School Officials, Educators' Unions Agree On Plan To Make(NY1) * NYCHA: Heat, Hot Water Restored To All Public Housing Buildings(NY1) * H Train To Connect Rockaways To Rest of Queens(NY1) * NY1 For You: Brooklyn Tenants Endure Fourth Week Without (NY1) *
    Health problems are beginning to arise with people who live in areas of the city devastated by Hurricane Sandy, because of mold, oil spills, and raw sewage, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/XYxwHy

    Tuesday UpdateAfter natural disasters, the federal government rebuilds. But should it?(NYT) * After Saving Fire Island, Line of Defense Is Lost to the Sea(NYT) * Storm Victims, in Cleanup, Face Rise in Injuries and Illness(NYT) * Storm Prompts New York City’s Schools to Cancel 3 Days Off(NYT)  * Free Subway Shuttle Starting for Part of Rockaway Peninsula(NYT) * Solar Companies Seek Ways to Build an Oasis of Electricity(NYT) * Retailers Add Politics and Nature to Their Holiday Worry List(NYT)* Day Laborers, Helping Hands(NYDN Ed)Warmth and gratitude greeted volunteers who did their part to help clean up in Coney Island. 
    Hamill: Cop’s Sandy heroism all in a day’s work(NYDN) * NYCHA under fire for abandoning tenants in Hurricane Sandy (NYDN) * Belle Harbor Family Brought Together After Being Devastated(WCBS) * Shoes for children(Fox 5) * Frustrated Red Hook Tenants Meet With NYCHA(NBC) * Mayor: Owners Of Sandy-Damaged Homes To Have A Say In Demolition (NY1) * Bellevue Hospital Takes In Walk-In Patients Once More(NY1) * H Train Set To Connect Rockaways To Rest of Queens(NY1) * Sandy suit against condo bigs(NYP) * Subway cellular taken by storm(NYP)
    *
    [image]Torn House Symbolizes Storm(WSJ) * Hospitals Struggle to Reopen (WSJ)Bellevue Hospital Center, a critical New York City trauma facility, won't be able to reopen its emergency room until December at the earliest. It will take until January to make Coney Island Hospital fully operational again.* Schools Add Makeup Days(WSJ) * Mayor: Owners Of Sandy-Damaged Homes To Have A Say In Demolition Process (NY1) * School Officials, Educators' Unions Shorten Winter Vacation To Make Up Days Lost To Sandy(NY1) * Bellevue Hospital Takes In Walk-In Patients Once More(NY1)
    * Several New York City hospitals are still weeks or months away from reopening owing to severe flooding damage, as Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council diverted $300 million to city hospitals for repairs, The Wall Street Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/T0L8vH * The Times’ Elizabeth Harris tags along with a Buildings Department inspector to witness how they decide which homes in the Rockaways are worth saving and which will be demolished: http://nyti.ms/WhHMWa  *Shipping Container Living Looks Pretty Nice: Inside City’s Hall’s Secret Disaster Apartments(NYO)
     



     
    Will Sandy Bankrupt the City and State's Budgets?
    Who is Going to Pay For the Clean Up?
    President Obama, Gov. Cuomo, and Mayor Bloomberg huddled during the president’s visit last week to discuss a potential federal aid package, with Obama suggesting that they incorporate as many states as possible, the News’ Ken Lovett writes * The News calls on the federal government to put aside partisan bickering and come up with a comprehensive recovery package to New York and New Jersey. The Post admonishes city and state officials for being overtly opportunistic in asking for federal aid for Sandy recovery before a cost and repair analysis has been done * The gambling industry is offering to help NYS balance its books post-Sandy(BN)The Buffalo News says it’s Congress’ responsibility to increase FEMA’s budget and help New York.  * NY pension soars(NYP) * WATCH: Superstorm Sandy floods Queens Midtown Tunnel(NYP)


    WATCH: NYCs Carbon Footprint(Huff Post)








    True News Demands The FBI Investigate the NYC BOE for Possible Criminal Activity in the Voter Count of the Presidential Race

    In 2008 2,614,669 New Yorkers voted in the presidential elections. This year according to the website politico only 2,053,871 NYC residents voted.  That means 560,798 city voters did not vote this year.  Some of those missing votes may be part of the 330,000 the board says it has in uncounted papers (stored in garbage bags).  Even is half of those paper votes are good that means that 400,000 New Yorkers this year did not vote.  There needs to be an federal investigation to determine if Sandy caused the hundreds of thousands of missing votes or if the incompetence of the BOE causing long lines that caused hundreds of thousands of voters not to vote? Did the internal infighting over where to place polling sites in a highly contested state senate race cause the massive disenfranchisement?, as reported in True News reported. Skelos vs Crowley. fight where to place the polls   If this board fight can be documented then we have a serious criminal case against the BOE. Even more mind blowing is the turn numbers.  There are 4,640,422 registered voters in NYC.  According to the numbers on politico 2,053,871 New Yorkers voted that is a 44% turn out. Comment from a reader: poll workers who are incompetent regardless of training, there couldn't be enough training for some of them, as you'd have to start with reading and writing. *  New York City Board of Elections: Unlucky or Incompetent? (City and State)

     
    Kruger and Others Go to Jail for Getting Him Governement $$$ and Bruce Rattner Get More Money 
    Former Yonkers Councilwoman Sandy Annabi has been sentenced to six years in prison for accepting nearly $200,000 to change her vote on real estate deals. *  Annabi’s co-defendant, Zerhy Jereis, a former leader of the city’s Republican party, was sentenced to four years on the same bribery and extortion charges.* Yonkers pol gets 6 years for taking bribe(NYDN)







    No Opposition to MTA Fare Rase Crazy Train: After MTA's handling of Hurricane Sandy, riders seem ready to take hike 
    In post-storm forums, ony a handful of public riders showed up to fight impending fare increases
     

    Crazy Train: After MTA's handling of Hurricane Sandy, ridersseem ready to take hike  (NYDN) In post-storm forums, ony a handful of public riders showed up to fight impending fare increases * Thirty additional subway stations will get Wi-Fi in 2013, delayed slightly by Sandy.
     






    Education
    Private School Goes All In With Tech(WSJ) Educators have experimented with technology for decades, but perhaps no school in the nation has integrated digital tools into the classroom on the sheer scale of Avenues, which opened in September. *  The News writes that the New York’s teachers union should pay close attention to the recently ratified Newark teachers’ contract that rewards teachers based on performance evaluation rather than merit: http://nydn.us/Wg9rGR * Beyond Brownsville: Are charter school operators going upscale?   *Top lawyer’s son sues for more time to take LSAT, citing attention disability(NYP) * NY court cool to church in school(NYP) * A federal appeals court panel indicated that it would reverse a controversial decision allowing New York City public schools to hold after-school worship services, the Associated Press reports: http://bit.ly/UF9sCI


    Cuomo: State Likely Will Miss Fracking Deadline(YNN)

    Cuomo said a toll hike by the Thruway Authority would be “detrimental” and should be avoided if at all possible.

    Bullish on the Gowanus(WSJ) A 700-unit rental apartment building by developer Lightstone Group is planned in the area near the Gowanus Canal. But some Brooklyn residents are calling for the project to be reconsidered.

    Recent flooding at the proposed site for an East 91st Street marine waste transfer station has spurred opponents to file a new lawsuit to stop its  construction.



    Local News Does Not Cover Cover Government, Politics and Corruption

    They the read the headlines, deliver fluff and ignore the stories about the governing of their views. We are the highest taxed area in the county and not of their views know were the money goes.

    This is What Channel 2 Cover Monday Morning

    5:30  Weather, 5:32  Traffic, 5:33  Local Crime Story  Flatbush shooting, 5:34  Mideast fighting., 5:37  Local Crime Story:  Release of a photo of an attacker at a Flushing mosque., 5:38  Sandy aftermath:  Biden visits NJ, 5:39  Weather, 5:41  Traffic, 5:42  Commercials, 5:45  Life after Sandy:  Shummer press conference  about emergence power for cell phones for storms like Sandy, 5:46  Eco ATM:  Machine that pays cash for old cell phones, 5:48  Unicef Snow Flake installed on 5th Ave, 5:49  Weather, 5:50  Celebrity Birthdays, 5;51  Traffic  -  Subway Checklist, 5:52  Sports, 5:53  Commercials, 5:54  Money Watch, 5;56  Commercials, 5.59  Preview of the next half hour.

    This is What Channel 2 Cover This Morning


    5:00  Weather 5:01  Traffic  Mass Transit 5:02  On the Brink   Mideast War 5:05  Local Crime   Shopkeeper's Murders 5:07  Scaffold rescue 5:08  Auto Crash 5:08  Person shot through the window in Brooklyn 5:09  Weather 5:10  Traffic  Mass Transit 5:11  Commercials 5:13  Flood in British Columbia 5:14  Weather 5:17  Commercials 5:20  Sports5:21  Steven Spielberg reading Gettysburg Address in Gettysburg  (Looks like a film promotion) 5:22  Commercials 5:25  Weather 5:26  On the Money   Report on finance 5:27  Preview of Black Friday5:28  Commercials 5:30   2 internationals stories 2 local crime stories. Auto crashm Film promo Black Friday The Mideast war was included because of the areas Jewish population.



    President Obama discusses freedoms, offers 'hand of friendship' in Myanmar speech(NYP) * In Myanmar, Vows of Support From a Visiting President(NYT) * Obama Makes Historic Visit to Myanmar(WSJ)
    Obama and the End of American Decline - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
    Can the Right Prevent U.S. from Becoming CA? - Conn Carroll, Examiner
    Lessons From the 1950s - Paul Krugman, New York Times
    In 4 Fearsome Ways, 2013 Looks A Lot Like 1937 - Amity Shlaes, Bloomberg
    Obama's Benghazi Story Not Adding Up - Ralph Peters, New York Post
    Bombing Hamas Won't Stop Gaza Violence - Peter Beinart, The Daily Beast
    This Israel-Hamas Conflict Is Different From '09 - Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz
    Why ObamaCare Is Still No Sure Thing - Capretta & Levin, Wall St. Journal
    Have Conservatives Lost the Country? - Thomas Edsall, New York Times
    The GOP's "Modern Family" Problem - Reed Galen, RealClearPolitics
    A Latino Opportunity for the GOP - Leslie Sanchez, Wall Street Journal
    Why Republicans Want Mitt Romney To Go Away - Ben Smith, BuzzFeed
    Obama's Problem: Unsustainable Spending - Michael Barone, DC Examiner
    We Should Stop Obsessing Over the Deficit - Robert Reich, Huffington Post
    West Falling Into Economic No Growth Black Hole - Janet Daley, Telegraph
    Who Killed the Twinkie? - James Surowiecki, The New Yorker
    Learning to Celebrate Boys' "Boyness" - Margaret Wente, Globe & Mail
    Sunday Panels: This Week | Face the Nation | MTP | FOX News Sunday
    Republican governors are torn between staying the course in the wake of Mitt Romney’s loss and a more proactive strategy aimed at radically shaking up their party in an effort to reach out to young and minority voters
    A Bailout for the FHA? - Washington Post
    Ding Dong: Hostess is Dead - Chicago Tribune
    ObamaCare Resisters, Get With the Program - USA Today
    Struggling w/Complexities of Health Exchanges - Washington Examiner
    Back on Capitol Hill after his failed VP bid, Rep. Paul Ryan, (who won re-election to his congressional seat while also running for the national post), has emerged as a key figure in the fiscal cliff talks.  
    Marco Rubio Catches Rubio ’16 Fever(NY Mag)
    Obama pushes Cambodian leader on human rights:
    Fox & MSNBC Became More Extreme As Election Day Neared, Reports Pew 
    Tina Brown on Hillary Clinton 2016: “I want her to get her two years off, cut her hair again, freshen up those old pantsuits, and hit the trail running.” 
    Gaza Fight Continues, Both Sides Fear Land War - Edmund Sanders, LAT
    Hamas Tries to Tap Islamists' Growing Clout - Kirkpatrick & Sheikh, NYT
    Petraeus Schools the White House - Joseph Curl, Washington Times
    Holder Blew It on Petraeus Investigation - James Warren, The Daily Beast
    Why Obama's China Policy Will Work - Michael Hirsh, National Journal
    Obama Blunders Again on World Stage - Nile Gardiner, The Telegraph
    GOP Denialists, Whiners, and Wackjobs - Paul Begala, The Daily Beast
    Boehner's Wise Play - Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
    Surge in Positive Media for Obama During Final Week - Erik Wemple, WP
    The Lure of the Grateful Dead's Archive - Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker 
    Taibbi: 'Sexual Rats' Nest' At Major Government Agency(Huff Post)
    Christie’s Post-Hurricane Embrace of Obama Outrages Many in G.O.P.(NYT)
    For Obama and Clinton, Their Final Tour as Partners(NYT)
    After Obama, Christie Wants a G.O.P. Hug(NYT)
    Obama's Voter Database Has Got to Be Worth Something(NY Mag)
    Allen West Concedes to Patrick Murphy 
    Reports: Eric Holder to stay on as Attorney General: (Politico)
    More ads!! Three labor unions - AFSCME, SEIU and National Education Association - are launching a six-figure ad buy pressuring swing-state US Senate Democrats and targeted House Republicans to oppose spending cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and education. 
    Getting to the Bottom of Benghazi - Dennis Byrne, Chicago Tribune
    Partisanship Behind the Libya Frenzy - Ed Kilgore, Washington Monthly
    Sources: DNI Edited Libya Talking Points - Margaret Brennan, CBS News
    Clyburn: Susan Rice Criticism Is Race-Based - Matt Vasilogambros, NJ
    What Happened to Post-Racial America? - Victor Davis Hanson, PJ Media
    ObamaCare's Critics Refuse to Give Up - Jonathan Cohn, The New Republic
    Republicans' Leverage Against Tax Hikes - Ramesh Ponnuru, Bloomberg
    Why Democrats Are in Trouble - William Murchison, Dallas Morning News
    Thanks for the Memories, Rep. Allen West - Tim Murphy, Mother Jones
    Hillary for President? Drumbeat Begins - Laura Washington, Chicago ST
    Global Entrepreneurship Week: Three Big Lessons - Carl Schramm, Forbes
    Video Highlights: West | Clybur

    Investors Rush to Beat Threat of Higher Taxes(NYT) * Investment Falls Off Cliff(WSJ)





    'Regretful' Petraeus mistress Paula Broadwell and her family return to their Charlotte home(NYP) 

    Petraeus Biographer Paula Broadwell's Emails To Jill Kelley Allegedly Threatened To Make Her 'Go Away'  

    Top Dem demands intel on Benghazi timeline(NYP) * Paula Broadwell devastated by Petraeus affair fallout(WABC) * Paula Broadwell Said To Be Devastated By David Petraeus Affair Fallout * Paula Broadwell ‘filled with guilt and shame’ over Petraeus affair, says brother * Allred to host press conference with Jill Kelley's twin(NYP)


    Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch wants the New York Times to apologize for its “intolerent” and “outrageous” editorial on immigration reform.

    Strikes bring bloodshed in Gaza as Israel considers ground invasion(NYP) * An Outgunned Hamas Tries to Tap Islamists’ Growing Clout(NYT) * Palestinian Toll Rises as Israel Presses On(NYP) * Brigades Firing on Israel Show Deadly New Discipline(NYT) * Diplomats Try to End Israel-Gaza Conflict(WSJ) * Israeli Ambassador Deletes Tweet Signaling Willingness To Sit Down With Hamas  * Hamas Leader Dares Israel to Invade Amid Gaza Airstrikes(NYT)
    * In West Bank, a Growing Sense of Identity With Hamas(NYT) *In Southern Israel, Urban Dwellers Learn to Sprint(NYT)
    Hamas’s Illegitimacy(NYT Ed)Israel is not the only party responsible for the current conflict in Gaza.  * Gaza Toll Rises(WSJ)
    * NBC News Reporter Blames U.S. For Not Recognizing Hamas And Not ‘Reining In’ Israel






    Jerusalem Post
    MDA: 16 injured in South on sixth day of operation,
    Polls: Huge support for operation, not invasion, 
    EU: Israel has right to defense, but should stop operations



    Former Murdoch Aides to Be Charged With Bribery (New York Times)


    Law and Order

    Person of interest seen on video near 2 crime scenes in B'klyn shopkeeper slays(NYP)

    Cops zeroing in on Brooklyn serial killer, dub him 'John Doe Duffle Bag'(NYP)

    *Man in August Sketch Is No Longer Suspect in Shopkeeper Killings(NYT)
    ‘Duffel man’ sought in B'klyn slay spree(NYP) * Video Suspect Is Sought in Store Slayings(WSJ) * Authorities Want To Speak With People Of Interest About Possible Brooklyn Serial Killer(NY1)




    FBI & NYPD team up in ‘crazy 8’ gunman hunt(NYP) * Looking for Motive in Shopkeepers’ Killings(NYT) * Gunman Sought in Three Slayings(WSJ) * NYPD: Serial killer may be behind shopkeeper murder(WABC) * Video: 'Persons of Interest' in Death of Brooklyn Shopkeeper(NYT)
    * FBI Profiler to Help in Possible NYC Serial Killings (ABC)* Police Looking To Question Possible Witness In Brooklyn (WABC)







    Mosque attack victim warns of eye for an eye(NYP)



    NYPD Officer Accused In Cannibal Plot Due In Court(NY1)


    For First Time, All Harlem Police Precinct Commanders Are Black(Huff Post)


    Man Is Stabbed Outside a Mosque(WSJ) * Mosque Stabbing Victim: Attack Was Pure Hate(WCBS) * Suspect Sought in Stabbing Outside Queens Mosque(NBC)

    3 People Shot In Unionport, The Bronx(WCBS)
     
    Bronx dad kidnaps kids and carjacks stranger's car: police(NYP) * Bx man surrenders after allegedly kidnapping kids in rampage(NYP)



    Cop shot me in the back while I was face down on ground: (NYDN)

    SI model nails cyber-stalker accused of uploading her photos onto a porn site(NYP)
    Hockey Mom Madam turns self in to serve sentence, released after 45 minutes(NYP)

    Justice and the Central Park Jogger CaseJustice and the Central Park Jogger Case(NYT)Should New York City acknowledge mistakes in the Central Park jogger case and compensate those wrongly convicted?
    ‘Slayer’ has bawl (NYP) A father on trial for a second time in the hammer-beating death of his stepdaughter broke down in tears in Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday.


    Dirty cop’s court break(NYP)
    Mob rat ‘threatens’ fed case(NYP)

    Subway 'perv' lucks out as judge dismisses case(NYP) * Woman shot in face in Brooklyn(WABC) *
    Cop in federal court in cannibal case(Fox 5) * Stray bullet hits Brooklyn woman in face(NYDN)*
    NYPD officer pleads not guilty in cannibal case(NYP) * Woman Hit by Stray Bullet in Brooklyn Apartmen(NBC) * Stray window shot(NYP) * Police Officer Pleads Not Guilty in Cannibal Plot (WSJ) * B'klyn DA to hire expert to analyze fatal police run-in(NYDN) * Imelda Marcos’s Ex-Aide Charged With Conspiring to Sell Ill-Gotten Art(NYT)
    * ‘Millionaire Madam’ Celebrates Her 45 Minutes in Jail With Nasty Trash-Talk Session(NY Mag)