Sunday, March 31, 2013

New York's Boston Tea Party and Quinn is No Sexist Press Victim Saturday Update

Lame Duck Bloomberg Dumped by Friends and Allies

When It Comes to Speed Cameras Bloomberg Did Not Get A Bang For His Buck
Last September Bloomberg sent state senate GOP $1million, his largest single donation. Last week they refused to allow the installment of 20 speed cameras in the city near schools. “I’ve never seen the mayor this angry,” said one insider. “He’s furious.”The front story is that the senators had concerns about the reliability of the cameras and were worried that the city’s main police union, the PBA, opposed them. Then there’s the back story, as told by sources involved in the process: Dean Skelos, the Republican state Senate leader, told his members the city was going down a “slippery slope” and could be opening the door to cameras elsewhere.In suburban and upstate districts, where the Republicans have strongholds and where just about everyone drives, elected officials are wary of upsetting motorists if they don’t have to. If the city doesn’t get cameras, then no one gets cameras and that controversial issue disappears.

Car Speeding Accident Last Night?  Where A Baby is In Critical Condition
9 hurt as car slams into bus stop in Brooklyn(NYP) * Mother and Baby Critically Injured in Crash at Brooklyn (NYT)* Multiple people hit on Brooklyn sidewalk(Fox 5)* Mother and Baby Critically Injured in Crash at Brooklyn Bus Stop(NYT) * 'Why couldn't God take me and let him live?' 2-year-old boy mowed down at a Brooklyn bus stop may not recover, while mom remains in partial coma(NYDN)



Shedding the image as mayor's sidekick, Speaker Christine Quinn has led City Council in overriding 10 Bloomberg vetoes in past 15 months(NYDN) But Democratic foes say willingness to stand up to Bloomberg smacks of opportunism

 


What the NYT Missed
Debates Where Candidates Say Whatever They Want and Hard Questions None Existent
On and Off the Debate Stage, Candidates Spar in the Mayoral Race(NYT) Bill de Blasio huddles with his aides in a corner, rehearsing talking points. John C. Liu complains about being holed up with his rivals, even though he often arrives last. Christine C. Quinn, a chatterbox of nervous energy, jokes that the candidates are together so frequently, they should just car pool.  *
5 of 8 mayoral candidates' kids go to public school(NYDN)


NY Magazine Pushes Baby Pictures of Quinn

NY Magazine does a story about 30 famous New Yorkers early childhood and only includes one mayor candidates guess who? Colin Powell, Antonin Scalia, Joan Rivers,  Mel Brooks,
  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,  Whoopi Goldberg,

Christine Quinn, City Council Speaker, b. 1966 




Fred Dicker Tweets On the Budget Agreement  and Minimum Wage
38m In the face of an orgy of self-congratulation:EDITORIAL: Finishing budget on time should only be starting point: bit.ly/YLvNEX* Another NY mess: minimum wage mind-bender - Opinion - The Buffalo News via

Daily News Says Tax Credits for Minimum Wage Makes No Sense
 Waging war on economics (NYDN Ed) Minimum wage tax credit, demanded by state Senate GOP, makes no sense. They believed, wrongly, that boosting the wage would hurt businesses, so they concocted a tax break. The state will give a credit to companies equal to how much more they pay minimum-wage workers — but only for 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds, and only if the teens make exactly the minimum wage and not a penny more.
How nutty is the scheme?

The Third Rail of NY Politics is Economic Reality
Young People Voting With Their Feet Leave NYC And It Is Not Only For Fun But 4 Business
5m Att Gov. Cuomo: New York’s future flees to Florida
New York’s future flees to Florida (NYDN Ed) Young people are moving to the Sunshine State for jobs. According to the five-year American Community Survey, which the U.S. Census conducted from 2007 to 2011, 78% of the people who migrated from New York to Florida in those years were under age 60. The ages with the highest proportions of migrants to Florida were 18, 19, 21, 24, 28, 40 and 55. Florida is not the only one: In 2011, other relatively pro-business states, like Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina, also continued to attract more migrants from New York than they sent there.

New Yorkers face the highest state and local tax burdens in the country, at 14% of income. Add in federal, Social Security and Medicare taxes, and lower-middle-class workers can end up sending close to 35% of their paychecks to the government. Between 2000 and 2010, New York saw 1.7 million of its residents move to other states. While the births of new New Yorkers and the arrival of new immigrants kept the Empire State’s overall population from dropping, that means nearly 9% of the state’s 2000 population moved elsewhere. States that allow residents to keep more of their money and run businesses without undue burdens create higher personal income growth and draw steady streams of people from other states.

Bike Share Starts In May
 Neighborhoods brace for May launch of city bike share program(NYP)
The new NYC program station map has been released; we guess it's actually happening: 


Yoko ‘no-no’ on lobbying(NYP)







Instead of TV Ads the Goo Goos Should Bribe the Legislators with the $815 to Pass A Campaign Finance Law
Advocates of overhauling NY's campaign finance laws will start an $815K ad campaign on Monday. (NYT)


Quinn is Not the First Politician to Have Her Big Mouth Written About . . .  As Team Quinn Plays the Picking On Woman Angel

A Recent History of New York’s Most Pissed Off Politicians(NY Mag)  While Christine Quinn made news today with her gender-neutral threats of castration and self-proclaimed ability to "open up the bitch tap and let the water run," she’s hardly the first New York politician to be prone to such outbursts. Typically a fiery breed, the men and women of our state’s government have been known to explode from time to time, often in public. Below are some of New York’s coarsest pols, past and present, who seem to believe that the gears of government turn faster if you scream at the mechanics.

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Power Brokers Shift

Meet the New Bosses

Deal Reached to Force Paid Sick Leave in New York(NYT) A legislative compromise came after a raw display of political muscle by unions and activists who ran into fierce objections from the business-minded mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, and his corporate allies. At 10 a.m. today, Ms. Quinn will announce a deal on paid sick day legislation, which The Times said happened because “it became clear that she might face a revolt in the City Council” as “advocates persuaded the usually timid members of the Council to try to circumvent Ms. Quinn and force a vote.”


With NYC 9.1% Unemployment Daily News Says Gambling with Sick Pay
Gambling with sick pay(NYDN Ed) When a similar law took effect in San Francisco in 2007, a study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research showed that 28% of the lowest-paid workers suffered layoffs or reductions in hours as their employers had to adjust to added expenses.Most working New Yorkers, nearly 90%, get sick pay. Businesses that don’t offer the benefit are smaller enterprises, many of them marginal and just making a go of it. For the most part, they don’t offer paid sick days because they can’t afford to. Quinn delayed the effective dates in a bow to the reality that, with a 9.1% unemployment rate, New York’s economy is fragile. For that reason, Quinn also built in a failsafe trigger — if the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s index of the city’s economic health falls below its level of January 2012, the measure will not go into effect.


 Sick-Pay Bill Political Win for Quinn

Where is the Daily Media On This Important Regulator Function of the Sick Pay Bill?
Paid Sick Leave Regulator Concerned Over New Role (.theepochtimes.com) The new paid sick leave bill will fall under the responsibility of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), rather than the original plan to use the Department of Health. The DCA expressed reservations about its intended regulatory role on Friday. The city does not have a department of labor, which handles paid sick leave regulation in cities with similar laws such as San Francisco.


City pols, labor and biz in sick-pay deal (NYP) Some 1 million workers across the city will soon able to call in sick without losing a day’s salary, under a deal struck yesterday to make small businesses provide paid days off for illness. Working with a local building services union, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn helped broker a compromise on Thursday night that would mandate that thousands of companies provide paid time off for sick employees

The Flip Flop Mayor
Quinn Folds, Makes Deal to Give New Yorkers Paid Sick Leave (NY Mag) When asked why she opposed mandating paid sick days as recently as last week, a source close to Quinn replied, “Chris has always said she wants to protect small businesses.* Quinn Answers More Questions About Her Temper(NY1) * Post reporter's life threatened on Twitter for exposing FDNY worker's vile racism(NYT)* Quinn shows her math on an economy-sensitive 'paid sick' compromise(Capital)


Quinn's Campaign Amen Chorus NY1 Cooperates
In order to blunt the accusations of retaliation, Council Speaker Christine Quinn‘s office directed NY1 to allied colleagues. “She was good to me and to my district before I voted against the renaming of the bridge, and she has been good to me and my district after,” Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said, while Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras declared, “Usually men, when they get angry or frustrated, that’s viewed as a point of leadership. It’s showing your skills, showing your negotiation skills. And now, we’re questioning it as a woman. I think it’s shameful.”And Councilman Jim Gennaro piled on with a letter to The New York Times: “I’m surprised because I’ve known Ms. Quinn professionally at the City Council for 22 years, and I have no idea what the article is talking about.* NYC Councilman Jim Gennaro defended Quinn in a letter to the NYT: “So City Hall is not “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” How is that page-one news?”

Where Have You Gone Roger Star?
NYT A Quinn Supporters Supports Sick Pay
A Prescription for Sick Workers(NYT) Finally, a bill that will help more employees enjoy a basic benefit moves to the City Council.
Roger Starr, New York Planning Official, Author and Editorial Writer, Is Dead at 83(NYT)





Partnership Politics Trumps Principal
Even the Partnership Wylde is Covering Quinn's Ass . . .  Won't Defend Their Basic Principals Beliefs
It got a tepid sign-off from Kathy Wylde, president of the city’s leading business group, the Partnership for New York City. “To the extent that the council is going to pass something, obviously, we want them to pass the bill that’s least damaging to business and the economy,” she said. “Assuming they agree to a bill that is significantly less damaging than what’s currently on the table, we’d support that effort.”* On the steps to celebrate , and queens/manhattan chambers of commerce


Bloomberg Says Sick Pay Bill Will Hurt NY Biz
Mayor Bloomberg: Even the compromise sick-leave bill will hurt New York biz(NYP) *  Mayor Bloomberg Vows to Veto Paid Sick Day Compromise(NYO)* Sick-Pay Plan Called Blessing and Burden(NYT) * Sick-Pay Debate Rages (WSJ) Leading figures in the mayoral race grappled with a legislative deal that will force many employers to offer paid sick days* Mayor Bloomberg vows to veto paid sick leave: A.M. News(SI Advance) * critics dismiss 's streak of independence from . via &

Mayor Says ’13 Hopefuls Haven’t Won Him Over(NYT) Bloomberg called the field of politicians jockeying to replace him “really depressing” after hearing them lay out their platforms to improve public safety in New York City. Bloomberg continued to play coy on who he would support to be his successor as mayor, though he hardly sounded inspired when discussing the candidates’ political views and ideas*Giuliani, Quinn Trade Shots Over NYPD Monitor (WSJ)* Mayor Bloomberg says he considers the field of candidates jockeying to replace him “really depressing.”* Headline of the Day: “Michael Bloomberg Has Not Read the Widely-Read Story about Christine Quinn’s Temper.”* Mayor Bloomberg called the compromise bill “better than previous iterations,” but he still plans to veto it.

Will Quinn Steal de Blasio Win With sick Pay?
With Policy Moves, Quinn Defuses de Blasio’s Attacks in Race for Mayor(NYT)
de Blasio Sick Bill Incomplete
One of Ms. Quinn’s mayoral rivals, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, sent out an email to his supporters decrying the deal moments ago. “For three years, Speaker Quinn did the bidding of Mayor Bloomberg and the big business lobby by single-handedly blocking paid sick leave,” his campaign manager, Bill Hyers, wrote. “Speaker Quinn has agreed to allow a vote on an incomplete version of paid sick leave. While something is better than nothing, the tragic truth is this weakened measure leaves over 300,000 New Yorkers behind.”* Dana Rubenstein says NYC Council Speaker Chris Quinn’s paid sick leave deal has “at least neutralized one of the most powerful weapons” in the arsenal of her mayoral rival, NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

 Thompson on Sick Pay
.: "glad that Speaker Quinn has ended her three-year, single-handed obstruction of paid sick leave."

Quinn Boo for LICH Closing
Quinn got blasted in mtng for her poor response on LICH. No support to = no votes from
 
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Campaign 2013


Councilman Charles Barron took to the Amsterdam News to back his own mayoral candidate, Comptroller John Liu. “The Black vote cannot be taken for granted by anyone,” Mr. Barron wrote, an indirect reference to the one black candidate in the race, former Comptroller Bill Thompson. “Liu will deliver more for our communities than any other candidate in the race for mayor in 2013. Let’s do the right thing for our people.” Mr. Barron touted Mr. Liu’s positions on policing, reparations, Kimani Gray and more.


Staten Island GOP's torch passes to a new man (SI Advance)

 

  

Thompson
Former New York City Controller Bill Thompson(NYDN)
See how he answered the Daily News’ candidate questionnaire
Carrion
Wow. NYC mayoral candidate 's favorite book is by Ayn Rand. He must still be angling for GOP support.

 

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Political Corruption

Daily News Goes After Lopez Again Where is the JCOPE Report?
 
Lopez refuses to testify over sex harassment charges

Medical Problems and Run For Council?
After returning to Albany on Thursday to vote on the state budget, Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez revealed that doctors have found two new growths on his brain and are trying to determine if they are cancerous, The New York Daily News reports * Under fire for sex-harassment charges, Assemblyman Vito Lopez is planning a political strategy session with allies next week that could propel him toward a run for the NYC Council — or retirement by the end of the year.
 
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NYC's Decent 
Freedom of Speech Dying
Some people can't take a joke...or the truth(Queens Crap)
From DNA Info: A mysterious mock website that took jabs at the members of Queens Community Board 1 took most of its content offline recently, posting only a brief message stating the site had been threatened with legal action. "Cb1queens.org is a parody and protected free political speech. Needless to say, it does not have any relation with any actual community board or governmental agency," a message on the site currently reads. "But based on the threat of legal action from the City of New York, the site is temporarily being taken down," the site states. It's unclear if legal threats were indeed made against the site. An email sent to the site's designers was not immediately returned, and CB1 district manager Lucille Hartmann was not available for comment Thursday.
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NY's Forgotten Unemployed

Weak Job Market Leaves City’s Unemployment Rate Flat(NYT) A school bus strike and Wall Street layoffs contributed to the weak market last month and kept New York City’s unemployment rate well above the nation’s, the State Labor Department reported.* New York Court Upholds Sales Tax for Online Retailers(NYT)* Newsday’s Dan Janison argues that New York City’s economic recovery was aided by luck rather than Bloomberg’s economic policies*  The state released unemployment numbers (by Eric Anderson)

The Homeless Are Not Even Allow to Live in the Warm Subway Tunnels
The city is sealing a busy subway line tunnel to drive out the homelmess: (DNAINFO)

Quinn and The Enabling Press Ignore the Unemployed

What About NYC's 9.1% Unemployment? Press Reports Quinn's Statement That Economic Indicators are Trending Up
"They are trending upward in a very positive way" Quinn says of economic indicators re: #PaidSickDays



Double Hit On Small Business Paid Sick and Increase Minimum Wage
Small-biz owners in city say paid sick leave deal a killer(NYP) Small-business owners said yesterday that they would be crippled by the City Council’s proposal that would allow all of their workers, even part-timers, to call in sick and still get paid. “We’re just a little dinky company. There’s only so much...

Online Tax
Court approves tax on online sellers like Amazon(WABC)

City Abandoned  Manufacturing Efforts

City not protecting manufacturing anymore(Queens Crap)
From the Queens Chronicle: In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg announced that specific areas of city land would be preserved for industrial purposes solely and called Industrial Business Zones. To go along with the IBZ, the mayor also created the Office of Industrial and Manufacturing Businesses to support the city’s ailing industrial sector. But eight years later, the OIMB has been dismantled and slowly, more and more of the IBZs are losing manufacturing businesses, which are being replaced by residential buildings and superstores.

Spinning Unemployment - Not So Bad
Job numbers served with sugar on top(democratandchronicle.com)


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The Budget Poll Dance


Will Cuomo Poll Numbers Rise With the 3rd On-Time in A Row . . .   First Time in 30 Years?
50,000 20,000 New Enterprises
Gov. Cuomo can't get his numbers straight on new state businesses(NYDN Ed) In one place it's 20,000 new enterprises, in another, 50,000.  So — as evidence that corporate leaders should open up shop in New York — Cuomo’s folks counted as businesses landscapers, whose gross receipts per year averaged $27,095; freelance home health aides, who earned an average of $16,500; day care providers, who made an average of $11,682, and other such entrepreneurs.* 57 flavors of communists

State Budget
The Assembly voted to approve the $135 billion state budget just before midnight on Thursday, though both Democrats and Republicans were unhappy with the final product for what it did and didn’t include, The Journal News reports:
Pro-Cuomo Group Repeats as Top Spender on Lobbying(NYT) * Cuomo's Trip Out of State Is Scrapped(WSJ) Cuomo decided to cancel two planned campaign fundraisers in Florida, perhaps because of the state budget vote, and shrugged off speculation that these out-of-state fundraisers were linked to a potential national campaign * State Lawmakers Reach Budget Deal(NY1) * A report released by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics found that spending on lobbying in New York State dropped to $205 million in 2012 with the biggest spender being a group with ties to Gov. Cuomo, Gannett Albany reports * State Assembly passes $141.3 billion budget for 2013-14(NYDN)* NY lobbyists spent $15M less in 2012(NYDN) 

Legislators Do Not Know What They Are Voting On
Cuomo embraces the murk. Budgets cut in such secrecy even legislators don't know what is in--and out:()* Shortly after midnight – and after about 12 hours of debating and voting by the Assembly, give or take – Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders sent out a press release trumpeting the “early passage” of the 2013-14 budget.* While the budget was being hailed by Cuomo and lawmakers, fiscal watchdogs raised warning flags about a plan they say has misplaced priorities.* While meeting with reporters yesterday, a senior Cuomo admininstration official “noted with some delight” that legislative efforts to give the governor less control over economic development spending was not part of the final budget.* The committee held the same top spot in 2011, but its spending dropped from $12 million that year to $4.2 million in 2012. Exxon Mobile Corp. was No. 2 on the spending list.* The ‘Art Of Compromise’(YNN) * Video: Cuomo says ‘government is working’ * DiNapoli Has Concerns With Debt, Budget One-Shots(YNN) * New Yorkers Mixed On State Budget Deal's Impact * Cuomo’s Legislative To-Do List(YNN) *NYS Controller Thomas DiNapoli Offers Praise And Warnings For New State Budget(NYDN) * Gov. Andrew Cuomo hosted a number of prominent statewide and regional business groups Thursday at the Executive Mansion, where he and top members of his administration pushed the merits of the newly passed $135 billion budget.* EJ McMahon is glad there’s no binding arbitration language in the budget.* State Assembly Passes $135 Billion Budget(NY1)  Popularity for Gov. Cuomo slips even as he still gets most of what he wants in budget (NYDN)

Att Gov. Cuomo: Wyo. named most tax-friendly state; N.Y. worst
Passage of balanced, on-time budget that creates jobs & cuts taxes for middle class families & small businesses:
 
 Dream Act
 Some Hispanic Assembly Members May Oppose State Budget To Demand DREAM Act(NY1)

Minimum-Wage
Minimum-wage increase combined with teen employment tax credit in New York state budget deal(NYP) In a move to mollify state Senate Republicans, New York taxpayers will be on the hook for $45 million in the form of a tax credit for companies that hire 16- to 19-year old students at the new minimum wage, which will steadily increase to $9

Hospital Closing 
 Assemblyman Explains Opposition to Hospital Measure(NYT) Richard N. Gottfried, the chairman of the State Assembly’s health committee, helped block legislation to allow private investment in two hospitals.

Where is JCOPE?
The Assembly Ethics Committee will review a complaint in regard to whether Assemblyman Steve Katz uses illegal drugs and received preferential treatment after he was stopped for speeding and arrested for marijuana possession, The Journal News writes: 

No Speed Cameras
The Daily News decries the abuse of power by Brooklyn state Sens. Simcha Felder and Martin Golden in killing legislation that would have provided speed enforcement cameras in New York City to help reduce traffic deaths

Guns
As expected, the education budget bill, which is where (inexplicably) the SAFE Act amendments were lodged, sparked the most contentious debate on the Assembly floor.  

Development Disabled Cuts
There was also an impassioned rank-and-file effort to reverse cuts in programs for the developmentally disabled. 

MTA
The budget gives more money to the MTA, but also includes a “sneaky $20 million transit raid,” according to Streetsblog. 

Fracking
Cookin’ with gas (NYDN Ed)Although he is famously averse to leaving New York State, Gov. Cuomo would be well advised to make a day trip 60 miles across the border to a booming city in Pennsylvania. Williamsport, a town of 30,000 people, is renowned as the site of the Little League World Series. More instructive to Cuomo as he dithers over approving fracking for natural gas in New York is how stunningly the industry has improved the area’s fortunes.
 

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New Top Cops on Stop and Frisk

New Chief Opposes IG
New NYPD chief opposes creating inspector general(NYP)
NYPD Chief of Department Philip Banks III: I was stopped and frisked as a youth (NYP) New NYPD brass’ stop-and-frisk story* New NYPD Chief Opposes Independent Monitor (WSJ)
NYPD’s new chief of department: ‘Frisk’ effective when it’s done correctly(NYP)
Stop-and-frisk is an “effective strategy when it’s done correctly” and should stay in place as police policy, the NYPD’s new chief of department said yesterday. While he acknowledged that stop-and-frisk is widely disliked in minority communities, Philip Banks III said the differences between the Police Department and the city’s black community “are actually very, very minor.” “We certainly in the Police Department don’t want to have any strategy that alienates us with the communities that we do serve,” Banks said.* Stop harassing the cops: Frisks save NYC lives(NYP)  * NYPD's New Dept. Chief Says Stop-And-Frisk Works(NY1) * Documentation Focus Of Testimony As Stop, Question And Frisk Trial Continues(NY1) * City's Finest Given New Social Media Rules(NY1) * Stop-and-frisk goes on trial, reports: * NYPD Chief: Community, Police Must Work Together(NBC)* New Police Chief Confident He Can Handle Job(NYT) * Supervisors In Stop-And-Frisk Trial Deny Quota Pressures(NY1)


New Cop Rules on Social Media
Police Dept. Sets Rules for Officers’ Use of Social Media(NYT)
The New York Police Department issued strict guidelines to its officers on how to properly use social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, forcing officers to scramble to edit their personal accounts of anything that might run afoul of the new rule* NYPD to cops: keep social media clean(Fox 5)* Looking to avoid troublesome social media postings by its officers, the NYPD has issued strict guidelines and ordered its members to comb through their personal profiles on Facebook, Twitter and other Web sites to ensure they are in line with the new rules.

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Education

Fewer Students Suspended(WSJ) The number of New York City public-school students suspended last fall plummeted by more than a third after the city relaxed disciplinary policies. Statistics show that just over 16,000 public school students in New York City were suspended between July and December, a 36 percent decrease, after the Department of Education said schools could not mete out suspensions for minor misbehaviors *  Hundreds Rally Against Proposed Cuts To After-School Programs(NY1)
* Grace Outreach offers free GED training for women(NYDN)* State appeals judge's block of $260M for city schools(NYDN)* City Schools Handing Out Fewer Suspensions, Stats Show (NY1)

Students repeating grades, attending summer school down(NYDN)* ‘Third-class’ kids are falling behind(NYP)  More than 2,200 public school 8- and 9-year-olds flunked third grade last year — the highest number to be held back in six yearS

A Teacher’s Vision, but Done the City’s Way(nyt) Michael Zamansky, center, at a mixer for present and former students, dreamed up the Academy for Software Engineering, but it hasn’t turned out as he hoped.*
Curious Grade for Teachers: Nearly All Pass(NYT)



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NYC Government

 Hundreds rally for after-school, day care programs at City(NYDN)

Biking Cobblestones

: Must everything in NYC be about biking? Historic cobblestones dug up for being tough on cyclists.

Teen Sex

City Launches Informational App For Sexually Active Tee …(NBC)
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Nanny City

Bloomberg administration launches new App for sexually active teens(NYP) Sixteen and pregnant? There’s an app for that. The Bloomberg administration has launched an app intended to reduce teen pregnancy called “Teens in NYC Protection+” that provides a wealth of health..


New York is the Nanny State with the least freedoms: national study(NYP)
Soda Appeal Filed(WSJ)* New York City is asking appeals judges to reinstate a ban on supersized sodas and other sugary drinks, which was struck down by a Manhattan judge the day before it was to go into effect.* A study from George Mason University rated New York No. 50 for the level of freedom its residents enjoy.

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Gentrification

Bushwick ready for rezone(Queens Crap)

From DNA Info:Spurred by the rapid boom of new housing developments and businesses, local community leaders are asking the city to rezone Bushwick to help stop high-rise buildings, bars, liquor stores and storage facilities from taking over the neighborhood. Bushwick Community Board 4 members believe the rezoning is necessary "to preserve the unique character of Bushwick," they wrote in a letter to elected officials.



Will A Park Block A USS Monitor Museum


Waterfront Plans Threaten Dream to Honor a Warship in Brooklyn(NYT) A parcel of land in Greenpoint has pitted a couple’s dream of building a museum dedicated to U.S.S. Monitor against a neighborhood push to turn the waterfront into a park.

 

Update Rent ‘scammer’ vows a fight to the ‘death’(NYP)

'It's the End of Chelsea'(WSJ) On Saturday, the Rawhide bar, which sits at the corner of Eighth Avenue and West 21st Street, will close its doors. It plans to mark the moment with one final party.




Dreams of a Harlem Jazz Rebirth(NYT)

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Another Chinatown Bus Shutdown


'Chinatown Bus' Operator Shut Down by Regulators(WSJ) Federal authorities shut down Fung Wah, the best known of the East Coast's “Chinatown bus” companies, citing a pattern of safety violations that “substantially increase the likelihood of serious injury or death” for drivers and passengers.* Fung Wah Was Even Scarier Than Anyone Thought(NY Mag)





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Taxi Hybrid

New Cabs Could Avoid Hybrid Ban(NYT) The Bloomberg administration wanted all cabs to be Nissan NV200s, but relented and said some large hybrids could be allowed.* ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ Won’t Push out Hybrids(WSJ)

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Secret Real Estate Deal?


Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Governor’s Office Rumored To Be Negotiating Sale of Marcy Armory to Satmar Factions(nyo) The Satmar Hasidim of South Williamsburg have their own schools, their own ambulance service—even their own secret police. And soon, they may have their own armory.


4 Rent Stabilization 4 Years With Bernie
Life after death for B’klyn rent scammer: suit(NYP) A Brooklyn scammer spent four years fooling her dead aunt’s co-op board into thinking the woman was still alive, to keep living in the rent-stabilized apartment for $287 a month, a lawsuit charges.

Dog Owners
What New York Pet Owners Must Do to Get a Place(NYP)

NYCHA Parking Increase
NYCHA’s parking rates for residents to jump by 400%(NYDN)

A Fighter for Civic Causes Brushes Off Her Gloves(NYT)
Doris Diether, an 86-year-old civic activist who lobbied for years on behalf of tenants against landlords, renovators and developers all over the city, is at it again.


Preservation
Mayor of Preservation(WSJ)
Bloomberg Is Tops on Historic Designations; Critics See Excessive Planning


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Sandy

Sandy-Ravaged Businesses Prepare For Tourist Season(Huff Post)

Co-Op, Condo Owners Hit By Sandy Struggle Without FEMA Aid(NY1)
The federal government announced $1.4 billion in aid Friday to transit agencies affected by Superstorm Sandy.* Hurricane Sandy Relief Funds Slowly Trickling In(NY Mag)
Old South Ferry subway stop back on track(WABC)
Veteran Helping With Sandy Rebuild Struggles With Invisible …(NY1)
Relying on Hotel Rooms for Thousands Uprooted by Hurricane Sandy(NYT) City officials said those in hotels were mostly poor, with no home to return to or not enough income to qualify for available apartments.*FEMA to Move Sandy Victims to Apartments(WSJ) * Sandy Damage Causes Gun Backlog(WSJ) *$14M from feds will reimburse city DOT for drain on Staten (SI Advance)
Some September 11th Victims' Families Against Plan To Renew Debris Sifting (NY1)
* Rabbi brings spirit of Passover to Rockaway 
City Seeks Public Opinion On How To Spend First Round Of (NBC)
Volunteers Help To Rebuild Sandy-Damaged Day Care Cente (NY1)
More Than 2,000 of Sandy victims still in NYC hotels



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WTC

City to begin searching 9/11 attack debris again(NYP)
Judge Dismisses Suit Over Steel Cross at 9/11 Museum(NYT)
Atheists Lose on 9/11 Cross(WSJ)
NY Judge Tosses Atheists’ Lawsuit Over Sept. 11 Steel C(WCBS)
City To Sift Through More WTC Rubble Despite Objections From Victims' Families(NY1) * City To Resume Search For Human Remains In Twin Towers(WCBS)



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Low Wage Protest

More broken promises at city construction site(Queens Crap)

From the Daily News: Unions and community groups are calling on the Bloomberg Administration to halt construction work at the City Point mega-project. The city should stop the massive downtown Brooklyn development at DeKalb and Flatbush Aves. while it does a new study of the impact of low wages developers are paying, the groups said.
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Nightclub Hidden Fees
City investigating Manhattan nightclubs for charging hidden fees(NYP)



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Brooklyn Video Institute
NYU to open video-game institute in Brooklyn (NYP) Ms. Pac-Man and the Mario Brothers never dreamed it would come to this. NYU will open a 40,000-square-foot institute to study video games in Downtown Brooklyn next fall. The Media and Games Network, based at the MetroTech Center, will bring together...

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Media

NY Times Changes Yvonne Brill Obituary After Criticism(NYT)She made a mean beef stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job and took eight years off from work to raise three children. 'The world’s best mom,' her son Matthew said.* Can Women Have It All on the Times Obituary Page?(NY Mag)

 Barbara Walters retiring(NYP) * Barbara Walters Is Said to Be Set to Retire(NYT) *Barbara Walters to Leave 'The View'(WSJ)

Marilyn's suicidal letter hits auction block...

Bob Teague, WNBC Reporter Who Helped Integrate TV News, Is Dead at 84(NYT)
RIP Bob Teague, one of NYC's first black television journalists(Huff Post)




NPR Ending 'Talk Of The Nation'(Huff Post)

Meghan McCain, the outspoken daughter of Sen. John McCain, is getting her own TV show.


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Gun Control

Newtown Killer’s Obsessions, in Chilling Detail(NYT) * Months After Massacre, Obama Seeks to Regain Momentum on Gun Laws(NYT) * Arsenal Found in Lanza's Home(WSJ) * NY1 Online: Morgenthau Makes Case For Immigration Reform, Gun Control * Remarks by President Obama on Gun Violence(NYT)* Documents: Lanza’s Mother Gave Newtown Shooter Holiday Card,(WCBS) * Highlights of search warrants in Newtown shootings(WABC)

4-Year-Old Girl Shot To Deathin Miami (Huff Post)

Book of Hope, Found in Newtown Gunman’s Home(NYT)

 




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Washington




Sunday
Clinton ‘Transition’ Keeps Rivals and Donors Frozen(NYT)
Will Gays Be Punished for Success?(Dowd, NYT) Once more, the Supremes are singing: You can’t hurry love.
Remembering an Easter Miracle in Northern Ireland(NYT)
Need a Job? Invent It - Thomas Friedman, New York Times
A Slipping Middle Class Agenda - Chris Stirewalt, FOX News
Will the GOP's Plan to Fight ObamaCare Backfire? - Ezra Klein, Wash Post
The Unaffordable Care Act - Yuval Levin, National Review

TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads(Huff Post)
SCOTUS-Induced Chaos on Gay Marriage? - Doyle McManus, LA Times
Marriage Looks Different Now - Ross Douthat, New York Times
Ready or Not, Climate Change Is Here - Eugene Linden, The Daily Beast
Climate Change Endgame in Sight? - Steven Hayward, Power Line
Ginsburg Can Be a Liberal Hero by Resigning - Jonathan Bernstein, Salon
Time to Redefine Public Education - Jonathan Tobin, Commentary
The Republican Party Adrift - Lloyd Green, The Daily Beast
History Lesson: Racist Democrats & the Big Lie - Michael Walsh, PJ Media
Life With Down Syndrome: A Generational Shift - Theo Malekin, Atlantic
Gun Control and the Bloomberg Backlash - John Dickerson, Slate
Why Is Government in the Marriage Business? - MJ Daniels, Red State
Could Google Pick the Next President? - Craig Timberg, Washington Post
The Bloody Company Hollywood Keeps - Michelle Malkin, New York Post
. says has been an "active and strong participant" in gang of 8 talks on
Senate gun bill should include better access to mental health records: Gabby Giffords' husband(NYP)Bump in the Road for Healthcare Law - Los Angeles Times
Food Stamp Rolls Explode After Obama Loosens Rules - DC Examiner
Wayne LaPierre Is Winning - The Nation
Administration Yanks a Missile That Upset Russia - Washington Post
Lindsey Graham: Conceptual deal on immigration reform(Wash Post)
Peter King sees no purpose to North Korean talks(Politico)
Peggy Noonan makes sense about the missed opportunity of passing small, fast in the .
Rubio Urges Caution on Immigration(NYT)
Texas D.A. Shot to Death Two Months After Assistant Was Killed(NY Mag)
 From Sexual Outlaws to In-Laws - Walter Russell Mead, American Interest
Will Gays Be Punished for Success? - Maureen Dowd, New York Times
How to Fight the Left-Wing Hate Machine - Conn Carroll, DC Examiner
Clinton Keeps Opponents and Donors Frozen - Jim Rutenberg, NY Times
How ObamaCare Individual Mandate Could Fall - Peter Suderman, Reason
North Dakota's Abortion Tipping Point - Winston Ross, The Daily Beast
Networks Skip an Abortionist's "House of Horrors" - Brent Bozell, Townhall
The University vs. the Internet - Andrew Delbanco, The New Republic
Kim Jong Un's Bombastic, and Ominous, Bluster - Gordon Chang, Dly Beast
Dizzying Downfall of a Bankrupt Diva - Jacqui Goddard, Daily Telegraph
Sunday Panels: This Week | FOX News Sunday | MTP | Face the Nation

Saturday
Campaigning Complicates Governing(WSJ) President Obama is about to launch his most concerted effort yet to help his party win full control of Congress. But he risks undercutting his efforts to win GOP support for some initiatives.
Deal Said to Be Reached on Guest Worker Program(NYT)

North Korea says its missile are on standby to hit Hawaii, LA, Washington — and Austin(NYP)
Inside Obama's Syria Debate(WSJ) With the death toll mounting in the Syrian rebellion, the Obama administration has stepped up calls for Assad to give up power.
The Campaign to Outlaw Abortion(NYT)
Why China Is Reading Your Email - David Feith, Wall Street Journal
Obama on Guns--Too Little, Too Late - Dana Milbank, Washington Post
A Duty to Preserve the Bill of Rights - Sen. Rand Paul, Washington Times
Nature's Lessons About Sexual Orientation - David Haskell, NY Times
Government Has No Place in Marriage - Dennis Lennox, Detroit News
Can Republicans Reverse Damage Done by Iraq? - Jonah Goldberg, NY Post
Regulatory Moneyball Heads to D.C. - Cass Sunstein, Foreign Affairs
Why Your Kid Can't Get a Job - Michael Malone, Forbes
Real "Modern Family" Not So Funny - Mark Steyn, Orange County Register
Students Are Getting Tired of Casual Sex - Donna Freitas, Washington Post
Backing America Out of Anti-Gay Bigotry - Ana Marie Cox, The Guardian
Dr. Carson: Banned From Commencement? - John Fund, National Review
Altruism and the Panhandling Society - Robert Tracinski, RealClearMarkets
The Attack of the Killer Surplus - Gail Collins, New York Times
Pope Francis Looks Outward - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
The Last Jews of Egypt - Alastair Beach, The Daily Beast
Why Do White Men Kill So Many People? - Charlotte & Harriet Childress,WPBump in the Road for Healthcare Law - Los Angeles Times
Food Stamp Rolls Explode After Obama Loosens Rules - DC Examiner
Wayne LaPierre Is Winning - The Nation
Administration Yanks a Missile That Upset Russia - Washington Post
This Is What Happens When Congress Is for Sale


Friday


Kim Jong Un says his rockets ready 'to settle accounts with the U.S.'(NYP)
Cyberattacks Seem Meant to Destroy, Not Just Disrupt(NYT) Corporate leaders have long feared hacking in service of fraud or spying, but now a new threat has taken hold: attackers, possibly with state support, who seem bent on destruction.  * North Korea Warned(WSJ) * Stealth bomber test heightens tensions with North Korea(WABC)

Malicious Obstruction in the Senate(NYT Ed) President Obama’s nominees for his cabinet and the courts face an unprecedented level of ridiculous Republican hurdles.
Marriage Cases May Hinge on Procedure(WSJ)*  How Obama decided God was OK with marriage equality (Buzz Feed)
 The debate over a path to citizenship is resolved among the public, if not in Congress(Wash Post)
ANOTHER FIRST: Pope washes inmates' feet...
Stop Subsidizing Wall Street - Thomas Hoenig, Washington Post
On Gay Marriage, Moderation Is a Mistake - Noah Feldman, Bloomberg
Why Not Separate Marriage and State? - John Fund, National Review
Deficit Scolds Are Cheating Our Children - Paul Krugman, New York Times
GOP, Get Over 2012 and Start Fighting Back - Liz Cheney, Wall St. Journal
Standing Up to the NRA - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post
Obama Joins Squeeze Play on Senate Dems - Chris Stirewalt, FOX News
Will the Tea Party Threaten McConnell? - Conroy & Huey-Burns, RCP
Golden State Beaming - Timothy Egan, New York Times
California's New Taxes Are Paying for Pensions -  Bloomberg

‘Motherf*cking Injustice’: Stewart Tears Into Logic Of Supreme Court Justices Opposing Gay Marriage

Yes We Cannabis: The Legalization Movement - Matt Taylor, The Atlantic
America Needs an ObamaCare Exit Strategy - Shikha Dalmia, Examiner
Unmaking Europe - Timothy Garton Ash, Los Angeles Times
What Really Happened in Jerusalem - Charles Krauthammer, Wash Post
Gay Marriage, Change and Love - Mark Salter, RealClearPolitics
Charlton Heston's Cold Dead Hand - Jim Carrey, Funny or Die
Jim Carrey: It Takes a Talking Ass - Remy & Meredith Bragg, Reason.tv
Video Highlights: Morgan vs. Loesch | Paul | Matthews | Young |
SantelliMalicious Obstruction in the Senate - New York Times
Enough Dawdling. Approve the Keystone Pipeline - Chicago Tribune
No Logical Case Made to Keep Marriage Bias - Des Moines Register
ObamaCare Prognosis Is Getting Worse - Orange County Register
'No excuse': Boehner admonishes Alaska Rep. over racial slur(NYP)
Obama promotes plan to create jobs by attracting private investment in public works in Miami(NYP)

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Wall Street


SAC Probe Reaches Higher(WSJ) FBI agents arrested a longtime SAC Capital Advisors portfolio manager as a sprawling insider-trading investigation deepened.

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Law and Order
Joggers on high alert after stun gun attack(NYDN)
Woman foils stun-gun sex fiend in Queens(NYP)* Jogger Attacked With Stun Gun in Queens Park(NY Mag) * Police Seek Suspect In Queens Park Taser attack(WCBS)
23-Year-Old Woman Stun-Gunned, Sexually Assaulted in Park, Cops Say(DNAINFO)
Co-ed dead at Columbia(NYDN)
Woman Found Dead in Columbia Dorm(NYT)
Woman Found Dead In Columbia University Dorm(WCBS)
Ex-student, 21, dead in Columbia dorm(NYP)

Livery Cabbie’s Death During Detention Ruled A Homicide(WCBS)
Homicide, but not necessarily a crime: ME's ruling in cabbie's(NYP)
Man tried on Cartier watch and ran out the door with it: cops(NYP) 
FDNY EMS workers post sickening photos of victims online(NYP)





Police Searching for Identities of Victims and Suspects in Mysterious Abduction(NY Mag)
Police Search For Suspects In Washington Heights Abduct(WABC)
Reports: Cops Step Up Efforts To Curb Easter Sunday ‘Wilding’(WABC)
Man Released After Being Held In Connection With Coney Island (Ny1)
Teen Shot Near Bronx Housing Development(DNAINFO)
Suspects, Victims Of Alleged Washington Heights Kidnapping Still At Large(NY1)

Livery cabbie's death ruled a homicide(NYDN)

Fuhgedabout it: City scofflaws off the hook in amnesty fest (NYP) Dozens of city scofflaws — ranging from a couple that enjoyed a bottle of wine in the park to a man who blasted Jay-Z too loud in his car — were given salvation yesterday in a Brooklyn church, where many of their cases were tossed.

Subway-push kin suing MTA(NYP) * Family sues NYC transit authority over push death(WSJ) * Subway Push Victim's Family Sues(NY Mag)
Bx. dad fatally shot in the throat after receiving mystery message(NYP)Coney Is. slay suspect walks(NYP)
Domino’s guy rakes in bank-fraud dough: feds(NYP) This pizza guy really knew how to make some dough. A Domino’s Pizza employee was a key player in a bank-fraud scheme that netted a New York crime ring...
 Hard hat allegedly assaults co-worker over a sandwich(NYP)
School crime and suspensions dropped significantly in the second half of 2012(NYP)
The NYPD Is Having Trouble Keeping Track of Its Prisoners(NY Mag)
Chelsea Residents Blame Old Doorknobs For Spike In Break in(WCBS)
NYPD to increase Times Square presence for Easter(Fox 5)
NYPD Braces for Possible Easter Sunday Gang Violence(NBC)
Salon killer: I’m the victim (NYP) A man who hacked his wife to death in a Midtown beauty salon was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison yesterday — after he whined to the court about how he was the one done wrong.* Killer says wife saved him from suicide, but had slashing (NYDN)
Jogger Attacked with Stun Gun in Queens Park
DNA, Yankee cap link thug to tourist’s shooting(NYP) A Brooklyn man accused of shooting an Italian tourist has been tied to the crime by DNA found on the gun used in the shooting and a blue Yankee cap he...

Judge Rebukes 2 Lawyers Profiting From U.S. Disability Law(NYT) A Brooklyn federal court judge has ruled against two lawyers who brought forth lawsuits claiming that businesses had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Suspects sought in Upper Manhattan abduction attempt(WABC)

Post reporter's life threatened on Twitter for exposing FDNY worker's vile racism
Racist EMT’s supporters abuse Post staffer in barrage of hate speech(NYP)FDNY commish omits son's scandal in grad speech(NYDN)
Stephen Baldwin admitted in court that he failed to pay New York state income taxes for three years, and agreed to pay $400,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties.
Brooklyn ex-con escapes court while cops were distracted(NYP)
Escaped Brooklyn Prisoner Caught(NBC)
Raids in Hunts Point and Longwood targeted seven rowdy(NYDN)
Update Crash-driver succumbs to self-inflicted shot to head(NYP)

Brooklyn ex-con in domestic violence probe smashes car in police station, shoots himself(NYP) * Police: Man Shot Self After Crash Outside Brooklyn Precinct Station House (NY1)
Man rams vehicle into police car at Brooklyn precinct, then(NYP)
Police: Man Shot Self After Crash Outside Brooklyn Precinct(NY1)

Block-watch programs back in vogue as NYPD headcount sh(NYDN)
Habeus no-bust: Another ex-con escapes Brooklyn cour(NYDN)
Beaten, stabbed woman thrown from building(NYDN)
 Murder by knife in Crown Heights(NYDN)

Boxing champ arrested after trying to board flight with handgun at JFK(NYP) * Boxer Arrested With Gun at JFK Airport(WSJ)

Manslaughter Charges for Doctor Who Gave Liposuction to Transplant Recipient(NYT)
Brooklyn doctor indicted in liposuction death(Fox 5)
Manhattan doc accused of slingling $10M in Oxy(NYDN)
Doctor and Assistant Accused in Drug Case(NYT) There was one big difference, the authorities said, between the prescriptions Dr. Hector Castro and Patricia Valera handed out: she charged a lot more.
Bx. dirt-bike raps tossed(NYP)