Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Election Day

Turnout And Voting Problems

Vito Lopez is pulling out his vote

Mayoral decision may not b known 2night - too many paper ballots being cast b/c of BoE mistakes and broken voting machines.4:30PM

Political director for sends out email with subject line: "Urgent," saying turnout for GOP primary is (expectedly) low.3:30PM

NYC election day got off to rocky start with voting machine problems (Politico)
What you need to know about the NYC Board of Elections(NY World)


Exit Polls
Edison/Marist exit polls: 77% of Dem voters want to move NYC in different direction, 22% want to continue policies  

exit polls: 2/3 of Dem primary voters surveyed said overturning term limits was bad idea. About 1/4 said good idea.

Early exit polls: Dem primary voters split on Bloomberg/schools. ~30% say they're better now than 02, 30% worse & 35% same.  

Incredible nugget from exit poll: Elliot Spitzer has a higher favorability than Chris Quinn. She was just steamrolled. 

In exit polls, NYers ranked jobs as top concern, half saying economy not-so-good or poor

(WSJ)

According to field operatives turnout is expected to settle in at around 650k, give or take 50k.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You can press them all down and actually pull the damn lever. That’s something that’s totally wrong, that’s not supposed to happen.” – Williamsburg housewife and voter Pamela Cowherd commenting on mechanical voting machine error, via Politicker.


. . poll workers have been demanding voter IDs on UWS & challenging slightly different spelling (eg no middle initial)

Voting Problems Continue to Plague New York’s Elections(NYO) 1PM

9:40AM Lever machines in use in Williamsburg. Very light turnout. Walked right up and voted.
9:50AM 4m No lines in Harlem.
Some Problems Reported At City Polling Sites (NY1)
10:08AM Can vote? Snafu at Baruch College polling place is delaying him from casting a ballot

De Blasio thanked Cuomo for his "vote of confidence," though Cuomo has not endorsed in the mayoral race.

Around 12pm RT At Dr Sun Yat Sen Middle School, >200 voters, about 90% Chinese.

Bill de Blasio Casts His Vote Amid Media Storm(NYO)



Problems with the voting machines already reported at polling sites in on this day.

  1. Scattered reports of broken voting machines suggest that the NYC Board of Elections, as usual, has a big mess on its hands.

    1. Busiest poll site in district PS 269 on Nostrand Avenue. ALL machines down!! Paper ballots only!!!

      The Mechanics of a Hasidic Bloc Vote

      Low turnout at Tottenville, Staten Island polling station. About 34 people since opening, says poll worker. No problems w/ lever machines 

      : The Lever Voting Machines Are Blowing It


      More from WNYC survey, 35% said they had some sort of problem voting. We're working with to follow up.  

      Voter #44, MS 51, , at 9:20 am...And how to use an emergency ballot as lever machine was broken

    PS 235 Annex 5811 Ditmas Avenue Poll Site ID: 10041; ED 038/AD 58; poll not working. 3:00PM

    That number of 3/4 wanting change is pretty extraordinary. And it wasn't where voters were when this this race started.

    Audio: Fun Yiddish GOTV Announcement for De Blasio in Borough Park

    PS131 has had broken voting machines since morning and ran out of affidavit ballots. No one can vote Queens

    Voters and officials in Washington Heights complain of a lack of Spanish speaking poll workers. Lots of confusion about moved polling places 


    Our class lever machine broke. Trainees cheated on the open-book test we took to pass poll-worker class  

    Poll site problems in Bronx. VM breakdown at IS 74 in Hunts Pt. BOE tech called. Voting on paper til VM repaired. 

    RT Election official says turnout has been low at PS 261, with 242 voters so far. Big rush expected after 5 pm  

    Early exit polls: Nearly 1/3 of Dem voters surveyed said jobs/unemployment were top issues. 1/5 said education.  

    Strong anti-Bloomberg sentiment and pro turnout at PS 99 in Kew Gardens  

    ‘Get the Cops!’ John Catsimatidis Meets Controversy in Brooklyn(NYO)

    Voting problems plague primary election(NYP)

     The says it made 380,000 automated and live calls for to its members since Sept 4
Are Voters Stupid?
Despite the passions that the question “Are voters stupid?” inflames—or perhaps because of them—on the occasion of yet another election, it is nonetheless worthy of sober consideration: http://bit.ly/1ezdHNu
  
The Importance of Voting
Poet's Corner: Walt Whitman's "Election Day"
"Ballots are the rightful and peaceful successors to bullets." -- Abe Lincoln.



Are the Polls Correct?
Why the New York City Democratic Primary Is So Hard to Predict (New Republic)
Could the Polls Be Underestimating Eliot Spitzer’s Support?(NY Mag)



Why Are the Investigation of the BOE for Spending $95 Million for Machines That Don't Work?
    1. Time to investigate BofE choice of failed machines. 2 key players, Tabone and Savino, indicted for bribery should be reason enough.
      Where is the DOI investigation of Sheinkopf and Schlein and Phil Ragusa
  1. Less than two hours into election day and I'm already seeing multiple reports of poll sites with broken machines.

    1. ! “: RT : @nycboe running 3rd world election. Every machine at Armory broken.



      1. Hmm. Lever voting machine in South Slope gave me the option to vote in both dem and gop mayoral primaries..anyone else have?
        BOE technician said the extra languages have made the boxes bigger, causing the bigger space between candidate name and tiny "X" box
      RT : BOE snafu: Weiner's name was in the book but his signature was missing.


      1. Voting machines broken at my location at Russell Sage JHS in Forest Hills. They offered me to vote affidavit. I refused. Will return.
With the possibility of lever voting machines causing difficulties, Common Cause New York has relaunched a crowd-sourcing tool that will enable anyone with a smart phone to act as a poll watcher, the Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/1fUeWEW
New York City's Race for Second Place (Daily Beast)


'Wild West' Primary Drama(WSJ)
Like the 1977 Primary, This Election Is Unpredictable and Has Had Wild Swings

Daily News Pushes Their Endorsements 
Quinn ,  Lhota and Stringer



The Post's slate: Quinn, Lhota, Stringer, Vallone. [New York Post] The New York Post used its editorial page to urge voters to go for anyone but Bill de Blasio: “Behind the smiling face is a self-defeating ideology. For example, de Blasio insists the answer to poor school performance is more spending — even though New York spends nearly $20,000 per student, among the highest in the nation. The great irony of de Blasio’s spending promises is that they require a city of more super-wealthy to pay for it all.”

The Daily News, reminding readers it backed Council Speaker Christine Quinn, agreed: “Importantly, she has refused to engage in the fantasies spun by front-runner Bill de Blasio, who hasn’t a snowball’s chance of delivering his tax-the-rich scheme for all-day universal prekindergarten schooling. Quinn would push toward the same goal in steps that would be far more doable.”

A conspicuous non-endorsement from the 'Times' for Brooklyn D.A.(Capital)

Exclusive Video: Brooklyn DA And Henna White Caught Allegedly Illegally Campaigning At Polling Place

Charles Hynes finger to mouthBrooklyn's District Attorney Charles J. Hynes and his liaison to the haredi community Henna White are caught on camera standing in a no-campaigning zone in front of a polling place in Borough Park today. Hynes is wearing his special Joe Hynes for D.A. campaign yarmulke. He and White claimed they were only waiting for a friend.
Continue reading "Exclusive Video: Brooklyn DA And Henna White Caught Allegedly Illegally Campaigning At Polling Place" »

Reports that levers are not working for either candidate at 3 sites: PS 93, PS 5 & PS 242 cc:

Is New York City Mayoral Candidate Bill de Blasio the New Dinkins?

. brought platters of cookies for the poll workers

NY Times Endorsements
New York City Primary Choices(NYT)

It's a fight for second place and "If Quinn’s political career ends Tuesday night, it will be a stunning campaign implosion." [David Freedlander]
A de Blasio endorsement, for metzitzah b'peh "without compromise." [Reid Pillifant]



Closing Attack on the Front Runner
New York City mayoral hopefuls Bill Thompson and Christine Quinn tried to gain ground on de Blasio on Monday, attacking him on slumlord donors and his prekindergarten plan, the New York Times writes: 

"10 Very Direct Appeals To Race, Gender And Ethnicity In New York Politics This Year" [Jacob Fischler]
Mayoral candidates visited 169 churches. [Nicholas Wells]



Bill Thompson offered his own reason for voters to be skeptical: Mr. de Blasio’s Red Sox fandom. “Bill, in this case, is a serious Red Sox fan,” he said at Yankee Stadium yesterday. “Yankees win the World Series — does he go to the parade?” Mr. Thompson mused. “He’s going to have to answer to the public on these questions.”



De Blasio's special Cuomo relationship, activated by Bloomberg


A confident Bill de Blasio, the Democratic frontrunner in the campaign for mayor of New York City, had only three campaign stops on Monday and is close to winning the nomination outright, the Daily News reports:



Even the  NYT is Cartooning the Campaign

New York Today: Your Turn(NYT)
Long, Stormy Mayoral Primary Hurtles to Finish(NYT)
When Churches and Politics Mix(NYT)
The Other Races(NYT)
Vining the New York City Primaries(NYT)
New Yorkers visualize what's on their minds as they vote for mayoral candidates.
Students at Brooklyn Tech took Dante's new status in stride. “They were cool about it," he said.  



Sydney Leathers arrives at the Anthony Weiner victory party, where she says she hopes to meet him for the first time. She says she feels like it's "her duty," to watch the results come in. "He's going to do terrible," she says.

Spitzer Buying GOTV Support From Less Than Angels



Spitzer spends $300G on consultants(NYP)
Comptroller candidate Eliot Spitzer steered $300,000 to political consultants in the campaign’s final days to turn out minority voters and beat back surging rival Scott Stringer, campaign records show. The Spitzer campaign paid Mike Nieves — a campaign operative with deep ties to the city’s Latino communities — $111,000 over the past week. Nieves is a confidant of Assemblyman and former Bronx Democratic Party chairman Jose Rivera and helped Rep. Charles Rangel fend off a fierce challenge from state Sen. Adriano Espaillat in last year’s Democratic primary for Congress. Spitzer sent another $95,000 to Time for Change, a Brooklyn-based group headed Musa Moore, a pal of corrupt ex-Brooklyn Democratic leader Clarence Norman. The Post previously reported that the same group collected $70,000 from the former governor. *Spitzer and Stringer Use Differing Strategies to Influence Turnout in a Close Contest(NYT) The Democratic contest for New York City comptroller is coming down to Scott Stringer’s institutional support and “boots on the ground” versus Eliot Spitzer’s wealth and “data analysis.” 



















  1. Today is the day ! Can Vito Lopez, Clarence Norman and Carl "Aqueduct" Andrews deliver for Spitzer ?
 
 MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell repeatedly asks Anthony Weiner, "What is wrong with you?" [MSNBC]
 
Weiner's voting snafu today -- a tale of vanity and mishap that sums up his candidacy, this report suggests:
 
New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner “took a beating” in an appearance on MSNBC with Lawrence O’Donnell, who repeatedly asked what is wrong with Weiner, the News reports: 
 Weiner goes out with a bang (Gawker)
O Huma, where art thou? Huma Abedin supports boss Hillary Clinton at D.C. fundraiser while Weiner struggles alone in New York before the primary(NYDN) * 'What is wrong with you?' On the eve of mayoral primary Weiner gets lambasted by MSNBC host(NYDN) * The weirdest part of O'Donnell v. Weiner via
Thought MSNBC clip was eye-opening? Must-see video from Weiner & a woman today. "I know *plenty* about u."  


The NYP Begins the General Election Campaign Against de Blasio - Attack His Contributors
De Blasio pockets donations from homeless-shelter operators(NYP)Mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio has been a staunch critic of the city’s scatter-site homeless shelters — but he’s willing to pocket money from the private operators who run them. The de Blasio campaign confirmed Monday that he won’t be returning most of the more than $35,000 in campaign contributions collected from property owners and contractors doing business with the city’s Department of Homeless Services. “If you’re talking about Mr. Lapes, we did return those contributions,” de Blasio told radio host Mark Riley.The Post first reported de Blasio’s pledge to return the funds in February. But what de Blasio didn’t inform his radio audience was that he has kept $21,000 in contributions from Lapes’ associates — including donations connected to former city Homeless Services Commissioner Robert Hess and his not-for-profit group, Housing Solutions USA.

The NYP Uses the Man Who Play A Big Roll Destroying America's Economy to Final Hit Spitzer
Former AIG head escalates grudge match against Spitzer(NYP) The New York Post calls on voters to “just say no” to mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio and comptroller candidate Eliot Spitzer, writing that the two men “stand out for the harm their victories would mean for New York” Former AIG honcho Maurice “Hank” Greenberg upped his decades-old grudge match against Eliot Spitzer — just as the former Love Gov and state attorney general faces Democratic primary voters in the hotly contested race for city comptroller. Greenberg filed legal papers on Monday opposing Spitzer’s motion for a judge to toss out a defamation suit that the ex-American International Group chairman filed against him in July.



Staten Island Staten Island, Staten Island


Lhota, Catsimatidis fighting hard for Staten Island(NYP)
Leading Republican mayoral candidates Joe Lhota and John Catsimatidis have been battling for Staten Island and on Monday both again visited the borough, which has the city’s highest concentration of GOP voters * The Daily News’ Denis Hamill explains why the best course of action in the primary election may be to vote against New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidates instead of voting for anyone: http://nydn.us/19DfMo6


Catsimatidis: Campaigning is a ‘working vacation’(NYP)







Few campaign destinations have been more popular this primary season than churches, with mayoral candidate John Liu speaking at 51 since April, the most of any of his rivals, the Times writes: http://nyti.ms/19DaKbe


THE POWER OF INCUMBENCY: Seth Barron of City Council Watch questions a political system in which incumbents not only win as a matter of routine, but often do so without even having a challenger: http://bit.ly/17mVEq0


 






The New York Times writes that while Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a visionary, his remark about Bill de Blasio’s “racist” campaign contrasts with his inability to see racism in the city’s stop and frisk tactics and income gap: http://nyti.ms/1ec1BMQ
Today's column: What Bloomberg got right
Bloomberg Heads Back to School, for Final Time (WSJ)
Surprise of the day. Bloomberg's office on "racist": "told us by e-mail that he hadn’t meant to use that word" 
"If Bloomberg had really wanted to hurt de Blasio, he should have endorsed him." — Michael Daly *A news columnist says the "indisputable facts" are on Bloomberg's side when he complains about de Blasio's economic agenda. [Bill Hammond]


Ray Kelly Talks Terrorism
Terror and the NYPD(NYP Ed) By Ray Kelly On Wednesday, we’ll hold solemn remembrances at Ground Zero and across the country in honor of the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11. Twelve years later, the terrorist attacks’ effect is still being felt in countless ways, among them the extraordinary measures taken every day by the NYPD to protect our city.* Kelly Says Mayoral Candidates Overlook Terror Threats(NYT) * Ray Kelly says not one mayoral candidate has requested a counterterrorism briefing from the NYPD: (WSJ) * Kelly Details Tension With U.S. Agencies(WSJ)New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly spoke of tensions in the fight against terrorism, saying that some federal authorities “resent” NYPD intrusion but that “we get the job done

NYPD Spying Vs Activism
The NYPD’s identification of an anarchist tied to a pro-bicycle group as a suspect in a 2008 bombing was built on flimsy evidence and reflects the toll on civic activism caused by police spying, writes the Times’ Michael Powell
  1. Wondering what critics of Bloomberg idea to use biometrics to protect NYCHA residents think of new IPhone using fingerprint security?
 


.: Indicted former NY Senate leader John Sampson quietly adds $500K+ asset to his 2012 ethics disclosure.  That his father's house that he now has a 50% interest. It has been in John's family for many years.  


Latest Poll Q poll suggests de Blasio is on cusp of magical 40% mark and Thompson is most likely to make runoff if there is one. New Q poll this morning: de Blasio, 39%; Thompson, 25%; Quinn, 18%. Big news in comptroller: Stringer, 50%; Spitzer, 43%. The race for NYC comptroller all over the map. has up by 7% today, but had up by 5%.* Bill de Blasio leading in Quinnipiac, Public Policy Polling polls (NYO)



Low Turnout 
"extremely low turnout" in mayor's race = 33% of voters. In Moscow. Not a given primary will exceed that.

Will a two Bill's runoff help the GOP candidate in Nov.?

  1. The only poll that counts isn't really a poll but the canvass that takes place to determine the runoff.


A Runoff Costing $20 Million About Nothing
Daily News Seinfeld for Public Advocate, What if de Blasio is Over 40% and Were Face With Nobody Getting 40% in the PA Race
PA Abuse
Seinfeld for advocate(NYDN Ed)
Famously, “Seinfeld” was a show about nothing. The same is true of serving as NYC’s public advocate. The job is about nothing. Every four years, the Daily News Editorial Board kneels in prayer to St. Jude, patron saint of hopeless causes, ours being the dream that someday a candidate for public advocate will meet our top criteria for election endorsement. That person would say, “If elected, I will fight like hell to abolish the office of public advocate through a voter referendum that will produce the greatest landslide in NY political history.”* The NY Post “will continue to decline to endorse any candidate for public advocate until we find one with the only qualification for that office: a promise to work to abolish it.”* 4 Major Candidates Vie for New York Public Advocate Job (NYT)

80% of the Voters Do Not Know Who is Running for Public Advocate
The wasteful race for public advocate(NYP) The public advocate is supposed to be the most important post in this city after the mayor. According to the City Charter, if something happens to the mayor, the advocate succeeds him. So it’s telling that according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, only 20 percent of likely voters in the Democratic primary (the only one that matters, because no Republican is running for the post) could even name a candidate in today’s race. Some might cite this as an indictment of an ignorant electorate. Our view is that city voters have it exactly right. They appreciate that it’s a farce.



Why is the Media Not Asking "Why Did the City Pay $90 Million for Scanner That Do Not Work"?
Elections Board Rings In the Old, as Lever Machines Replace Scanners(NYT)
New York City is restoring the hulking apparatus for the primaries this week and any runoffs, but electronic voting is due back again for Election Day. Another failure of Bloomberg was the failure to go to war with the BOE. In his early years the mayor called the board Tammany Hall corruption. Bloomberg made it clear that he was not optimistic about the performance of the Board of Elections on primary day, especially with old lever voting machines being brought in instead of the electronic voting system.The New York Times asks how smoothly Election Day will go tomorrow: “About 5,100 old machines, each weighing more than 800 pounds and made of 20,000 parts, have been lubricated, and the names of candidates from 2009 … have been removed and replaced with those of this year’s contenders. But there is a question no one can answer for sure: Will they work?”* Be prepared to use the old-school lever voting machines for Primary Day tomorrow | WATCH: (NBC)

BOE Corruption Timeline 
BOE History of Corruption and Incompetence Timeline Part 1 (True News)
BOE History of Corruption and Incompetence Timeline Part 2(True News)
100 YEARS WITHOUT CHANGE: HOW TAMMANY HALL STILL CONTROLS THE NYC BOARD OF ELECTION "MESS" 




Mayoral Endgame

Long, Stormy Mayoral Race Hurtles to Finish(NYT)
Mayoral candidates get boost from celebs like Bracco, Belafonte(NYP)  * Democratic Candidates Urge Supporters to Push Voters to the Polls(NYT)
*Candidates Target Undecided Voters(WSJ)
Catsimatidis blasts Lhota for failures in crisis management(NYP)
Bill de Blasio, trying to lower expectations, says he expects there to be a runoff. Says he was in runoff in 2009 and is ready.
Christine Quinn Sweeps Through the Boroughs on Primary's Eve * Runoff between Democratic candidates Bill De Blasio and Christine Quinn predicted for NYC mayoral primary (Newsday) * Mayoral Candidates Recall the Days of Tiny and Grimy  * NY1 Online: Liu’s Final Pitch for Mayor 
* Online: Weiner Makes Final Pitch for Mayor


Al and Thompson
 At Final Major Rally, Bill Thompson Fires Up Supporters and Bashes Bill de Blasio(NYO)
Another odd Thompson ally: CUNY trustee Jeff Weisenfeld, Tony Kushner's denouncer, rallies for Bill T: via *Bill Thompson Rallies Black and Jewish Support in Final Stretch(NYO)


de Blasio Final Rallies
 In a radio ad set to air during the final two days of the primary, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz endorses de Blasio and takes aim at Mayor Bloomberg for his “racist” comment.* Bill de Blasio Refutes Rally’s Claim About Circumcision Stance(NYO) Although he stood next to speakers claiming the opposite, Bill de Blasio insists his position has not changed on the city’s controversial regulation of a ritual circumcision practice.* .: "For 12 long years we've had a Mayor who...created the Tale of Two Cities we're living.Tomorrow we get to make a real choice"* Bill De Blasio, Confident But Cautious, Says He Expects A Run-Off (Buzz)

 De Blasio said he is confident that he would get his plan to tax the rich passed in Albany because there is a history of the Legislature deferring to the mayor of New York City on raising revenue, the Daily News writes:  * Blake Zeff on why Mayor Bloomberg snapped over Bill de Blasio’s surge: “(His) campaign represents one of the first sustained, publicly damaging attacks on Bloomberg’s mayoralty” that he can’t silence using leverage, relationships or cash.* Upper West Siders can't seem to decide between Quinn and de Blasio but love Dante:(NYO)


And here’s Mr. Catsimatidis’s closing argument for why primary voters should select him, according to an ad in the New York Post this morning:
Voter-Guide Videos Catch Many Candidates in the Headlights(NYT) * The GOP Mayoral Primary(YNN) * Jason Horowitz: “(P)eripheral as the Republican contest has been, it is also worth pointing out that New Yorkers haven’t elected a Democrat mayor in more than 20 years.”




Klein Candidates Fail At Education Plan
In the Daily News, Joel Klein, the former New York City schools chancellor, believes that the Democratic mayoral candidates have not laid out an adequate education plan and hopes that the next mayor will continue to move reform forward:







Terrorism  Not On the Map for Mayoral Candidates
NY Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says not a single mayoral candidate has asked for a briefing on the level of terrorism threat to NYC.
. ...& very interested to see what happens to Cohen, demographics unit, under next mayor cc
NYPD Comm. Ray Kelly 9/9/13 at "threat of terrorism is as great, if not greater, today than it was before the WTC was destroyed' * \Kelly rips mayor candidates’ terror plans(NYP) * Kelly Says Mayoral Candidates Overlook Terror Threats(NYT)


QUOTE OF THE DAY: “What is their understanding of the terrorist threat to New York City and its immediacy? What is their perspective on the role the NYPD should play in protecting New York from global terrorism? Will they expend their political capital and continue to fight in Washington for the federal funds that we need to maintain our defenses?” – Police Commissioner Ray Kelly discussing the mayoral race at the Association for a Better New York breakfast, via the Daily News. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s government office says the have, in fact, reached out to the NYPD for a security briefing. “Bill de Blasio believes there is nothing more important than protecting New York City from the threat of terror and keeping New Yorkers safe,” de Blasio spokesman Wiley Norvell told Politicker in a statement. “After the President’s remarks on Syria, the office requested a briefing from the NYPD on the city’s counter-terror efforts and is working with City Hall to schedule it.”*Kelly: Fight Against Terror Must Remain Top Priority For Next Mayor(NY1) * Trailside: Kelly Says Mayoral Candidates Overlook Terror Threats: New York’s longtime police commissioner said...



. & join forces to urge Latinos to vote. Post-primary endorsements to come?






What About the Election Day Cash?
Eliot Spitzer Spending Big Money on GOTV Efforts(NYO)
According to city Campaign Finance Board records, Mr. Spitzer has spent just over $300,000 on get-out-the-vote efforts over the past five days.








Fear the Steamroller
Cuomo won’t endorse Stringer out of fear of Spitzer(Dicker, NYP) Cuomo has remained publicly neutral in the race between Eliot Spitzer and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer because his own private polling data shows the hooker-loving former governor will likely win on Tuesday — and he fears retribution from the notoriously vindictive “steamroller,” insiders told The Post.*  Comptroller Candidates Continue Slams In Fight For Democratic Nomination(NY1)


Newsday’s Dan Janison wonders why endorsements from political “celebrities” such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, US Sens. Gillibrand and Schumer, and even Cuomo have been scarce in this year’s primary campaign:* Eliot’s parting words(NYO) * Duffy: Cuomo Is Not Afraid Of Eliot Spitzer(YNN) * Wild Spitzer GOTV Rally At Borough Hall  "Tomorrow night we're going to turn the political establishment on its ear." Spitzer



Victim Of Alleged Union Square Hate Crime Dies (NY1)





Negative PAC Ads
Could negative ads from real estate PAC backfire in NY City Council races? Some backed candidates seem to fear yes.
Negative Mailer Features Politicker’s Comments Section(NYO)
The striking thing about the negative ads is that there *is* no message. Usually nothing about jobs at all.



Is de Blasio A Populist? Bad for Business?
WILL BILL DE BLASIO BE BAD FOR BUSINESS? Bill de Blasio has surged in the polls as a populist, but what is most striking about that image is that it does not conform with his history as a politician: http://bit.ly/15d4A1J


De Blasio surge thanks to breakout ad with teenage son(NYP)

A Lead Built Across Wide Swath of City(WSJ)
 De Blasio at 36 percent of likely Dem voters in new Marist poll -- Quinn and Thompson duke it out for No. 2, at 20 percent each. Weiner 7, Lue 5
Bill de Blasio is leading among men, women, blacks, whites, Latinos and every borough in the new WSJ-NBC-Marist poll.*

WSJ/NBC4/Marist poll has de Blasio up in runoffs. BdB 56% vs Quinn 34%. BdB 50% vs Thompson 38% more at Black voters de Blasio 39% Thompson 25%* poll has 8 percent likely Dems undecided.* Quinn unfavorable numbers are exceedingly high: 42 percent * Key stat from Marist... de Blasio is leading among Bloomberg supporters.* 59% of registered Dems who have seen an ad for de Blasio said they like him more after viewing it.* In a fascinating part of the poll, de Blasio gained most from campaign commercials. Call it the Dante effect. "Quinn no longer leads among any group of likely Democratic voters"* 33 29 22 3
Hearing a rumor that the PPP numbers are de Blasio 38, Thompson 19, Quinn 13, Weiner 9, Liu 5

Spitzer 47, Stringer 45 per Marist

Polling Problems
2009 Marist Poll
10/26 - 10/28524 LVBloomberg 53Thompson 38Bloomberg +15


Final Bloomberg +4.6%



In 1989, David Dinkins’ 14-point lead over Rudolph Giuliani in a late mayoral poll dwindled to just two points in the actual voting. In 2001, only one out of six pollsters had Bloomberg beating Mark Green. In 2005, the final polls had Bloomberg up by 34 to 38 points—twice his actual 19-point margin of victory. In 2009, Quinnipiac misjudged the Democratic race for public advocate, both in the primary and the runoff.
Early Leader in Polls Usually Wins New York Mayoral Primary ... fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/.../early-leader-in-polls-usually-wins-n...(NYT) Jun 8, 2013 

How Lobbyists Contibute to Bad City Services - 911 Emergency Phone System

Dead Girl 911 Lobbying
Last June 4th year old Ariel Russo died shortly after getting hit by an SUV.  There had been a four-minute delay in dispatching the ambulance to take the little girl to the hospital. The city is blaming 911 operation human errors for the delay.  The union leader of the 911 operators is blaming the new troubled $2 billion dollars upgrade that the city is installing. The city’s upgrade of the 911 system has not gone very well.  It has been hunted by system crashes, wrong addresses and over a billion and a half dollar cost overrun.  It is now up to a jury to find out who is really at fault for the girls death. 
The parents of Ariel have brought a $40 million dollar against the drive and the city.  One group that has to this point escaped the lawsuit and media attention is the lobbyists who push the city to hire the contractors who built the 911 system, no matter how the system is performing.  Among the lobbyists to get paid by the city’s 911 contractors: George Arzt, Mercury Public Affairs, LLC, Jennifer Carlson, Peter Barden, Jonathan Greenspun, Michael McKeon, Kasirer Consulting LLC.  These same lobbyists contribute to and run the campaigns of many of the city’s officials.  They elected the kings who decided which contractor is chosen and because of their influence in the system eat the king’s meat (work for the contractor).  Investigators hope the Russo trial will shine some light on the role lobbyists who do their work in secret played in keeping contractor who were not doing what they promised from getting fired. 

Lobbyist Kept Representing Contractors for the 911 System No Matter How Poorly They Were Performing
On June 3 in 2012, Comptroller John Liu released an audit of the system 911 system from 2005 to 2008 smashing the city’s upgrade — accusing contractor Hewlett-Packard of up to $163 million in possibly fraudulent overcharges. It is not clear why the city hired HP in 2005.  They have never designed a 911 system and they failed in 2002 to upgrade the same system.  The NYPD signed a 47 million contract with Hewlett-Packard for such technology in 2002. The company failed to supply the system, and returned more than $30 million in a settlement.   In 2005 the city again hired HP to oversee a new 911 center in Brooklyn, a unified dispatch system and a backup 911 center in the Bronx — at cost of $380 million. The cost of the upgrade is now expected to be $2 billion.   In 2008 because of the delays and cost overruns the city replaced Hewlett-Packard as the lead contractor with Alabama-based Intergraph Corp. (ICAD).   In 2007 when it became know the city was disappointed by HP’s performance the company hired George Artz in 2007 to lobby city hall ($15.000). 

Even though the press says HP was replaced on the 911 project John Liu’s report said that HP was still working on the project and got paid over $300 million in 2012 for their work.  In 2010 thru 2011 when the city council was going after problems in the 911 system, HP hired Kasirer Consulting LLC and paid them over $200,000 to lobby city hall for the company.  Mercury Public Affairs public affairs have been working on the project for Intergraph Corp since 2007.  Before Intergraph hired Sal Salamone as a lobbyist in 2006 to 2008 ($100,000) Salamone worked for the city on the Citytime project until he was let go after the corruption and cost overruns become know on that project, in which Liz Holtzman was one of the lobbyists that cashed in.  It had to get through the fog surrounding the 911 contracts.  Last month Bloomberg lauded Comptroller 911 audit he once called 'stupid.’  He even said there was nothing wrong with the Hewlett-Packard contract and the city paid those most of the money they requested.  The mayor changed him mind on Comptroller budget to stop a federal audit requested by DC 37’s Lillian Roberts. According to this report, generated moments ago from the New York City Campaign Finance Board Web site, Mr. Arzt has contributed $90,500 in political donations to municipal candidates since 1993.  Arzt  is working for comptroller candidate Stringer, BP candidate Katz, DA Hynes. Mercury Public Affairs Jonathan Greenspun is working for BP Peter Vallone, council candidates Paul Vallone,
Margaret S Chin

VIDEO: Inside the Anybody But Quinn anti-campaign(NY World)
 PACs reshaping NYC history before our eyes: "2013 will go down as a Rubicon" says anti-Quinn strategist.

IDC Vs Dems
Very wealthy purchasers of condos in some of New York City’s most luxurious high-rises are escaping fees on their million-dollar dwellings as the Cuomo administration adopts a less aggressive tax posture.*
State Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein pledged again to run candidates in Democratic primaries, as the IDC and Senate Democrats continue raising the threat of challenges, State of Politics reports: http://bit.ly/185yhEm

 Moreland  
The state’s Bar Association said that 20 other states require lawmakers who are attorneys to disclose their clients, which the Moreland Commission is seeking from New York legislators, the Associated Press reports: http://bit.ly/17LZtG4 * The state Bar Association says the Moreland Commission’s request for lawmakers’ private client lists doesn’t violate attorney-client privilege. 
 


Politico Buys Capital
Politico publisher Robert Albritton has purchased online news site Capital New York, with plans to make “a substantial investment” and expand the staff, part of Albritton’s plan to apply the Politico business model to New York City, Politico reports: http://politi.co/16egqZq
Publisher of Politico Buys Capital New York



Reduced Taxes
The operators and owners of living quarters at Trump Soho and Trump International & Tower in Manhattan did not have to pay the state “mansion tax” because of a less aggressive tax posture adopted by the Cuomo administration, the Times Union writes:
Very wealthy purchasers of condos in some of New York City’s most luxurious high-rises are escaping fees on their million-dollar dwellings as the Cuomo administration adopts a less aggressive tax posture.


Upset With the Mayoral Campaign Blame the Media
2 days before the primary the media is blaming the candidates for deceptive campaigns.  The real deal is this is the worse covered campaign ever. We are now stuck with a city of failing journalist who do not know how to inform voters or find the truth. The only information that got though to the voters are the spins the consultants and candidates wanted the voters to hear. The Voters have disconnected from the media how else can you explain that the Quinn campaign began to tank after she got the endorsement of the three newspapers. The media blames the voters and the candidates. The reality after Obama's change after the new mayor takes office, New Yorkers will die because of closed hospitals, children lives will be destroyed because of bad schools and families will be broken up because there are no jobs. Quinn backers fault press for not vetting de Blasio(Politico) * Gino Menchini, Technodyne Lobbyist, and former NYC Telecom Commissioner *Gino Menchini Agostino Cangemi Not Lobbyists for HP on 911 Lobbyist for Northop Grumman and Verizon?
 

Tuesday night is really busy now. President speaks to nation on Syria, just as polls close in NYC primaries

Final Pitches
De Blasio's speech today felt a bit like he already won, thanking supporters and reminiscing about lesser times (NYO)

Watch the NYC mayoral candidates deliver final pitches in this interactive video, and read our profiles. via

NBC's Savannah Guthrie to Weiner: You're Really Saying You'll Win 'With a Straight Face?' (FULL INTERVIEW VIDEO)

One more photo of Al D'Amato and in Crown Heights
Why Christine Quinn angers voters:(NYT)
11 candidates for mayor announced a combined 58 events yest'y and 77 more today. had but 1.
Democratic Mayoral Candidates Try To Mobilize Support For Tuesday Primary

Comptroller 
NY1 Online: Spitzer Makes Closing Remarks In City Comptroller Race 
NY1 Online: Stringer Makes Final Push In City Comptroller Race

The worst City Council candidates(NYP)







GOP Debate
Bristling Republican Rivals Discuss Issues, and Kittens, at Debate(NYT) * GOP Mayor Candidate Contrasts Are Sharp(WSJ)
First question of last GOP mayoral debate is about 9/11 and terrorism. Lhota cites "great work of Ray Kelly and the NYPD." * Lhota: "When I was budget director of the City of New York, I used to find 4 and 5% savings every year."* JCats reiterates that he'll "keep poor people safe" by adding cops to NYCHA buildings; Lhota says he hasn't explained how to pay for it. * Lhota says his job as deputy mayor was to keep the operations of the city working smoothly after 9/11, and they did (ex making payroll). * "I will freeze taxes..." * Catsimatidis keeps prefacing all of his points by saying he's said them before for some reason. * . is asked to defend his performance during 9/11 based on communications problems between NYPD and FDNY.*

"I vehemently disagree with Judge Scheindlin" in ruling, Lhota says. Cats As budget director, approved placement of Emergency Command Center in 7 World Trade Center.   * doesn't believe civil rights of those S&F have been violated... * Lhota says he doesn't believe plaintiffs' 4th Amendment rights were violated. * "Why are we penalizing the NYPD when we should be applauding them?" Lhota says of the stop-and-frisk ruling.* n"I don't recite the Constitution like a Mike Dukakis would do," Cats says about how he would talk to his son about stop and frisk. * Cats suggests Police officers should carry metal detectors.. .'s son would deserve to be stopped "if he had his pants half down with his underwear showing, if he had his hat turned backwards"* "It doesn't matter who the Democrat is; there's going to be a philosophical difference between Joe Lhota and Democrat X" in the general,...

* . got some vision for ya, right here: bring the N train to Staten Island * Good q by on other than World's Fair what else * Lhota attributes rise in homelessness not to local policy failures, but external requirements placed on NYC to provide shelter. * "I have a love factor with the minorities ... They all give me hugs." -John Catsimatidis. * Catsimatidis says he believes some of de Blasio's approach is "radical and wrong," and says it's one city, not two. * . just called David Dinkins "incompetent" * .'s campaign isn't "racially charged," but it is based on "class warfare," per *
"Mike Bloomberg didn't like it and he ripped it up" -- and then gave the Yanks an even better deal, Lhota says. * Given the opportunity to ask his opponent a question, doesn't deign to" "I have no question for John Catsimatidis at this time" * Lhota says if elected he will sign (continue) executive order guaranteeing undocumented immigrants access to schooling, health care.* Lhota says the ID cards, used in Houston, Richmond, etc. also help people get crucial access to banking.* John Catsimatidis says the city should take advantage of air rights to build higher, create more affordable and middle-income housing.* . "genocide, we should't do..." - wants NY Senators to vote yes.   * Lhota says tort reform is needed in NY; declines to pile on Catsimatidis re the Gristedes suits. * Catsimatidis says "professional lawyers" were chasing around NY companies when Gristedes was sued. * Cats on gender-discrimination suit by Gristedes workers: Says it's complex to explain in soundbite, but his company wasn't singled out.* on legalizing marijuana: It's the responsibility of state legislature, it's not an issue for the mayor.* "I said yesterday I don't want to get into class warfare like some other people," Lhota says, asked whether more billionaires would hel...* "it's a joke."-- on an MRB admin leasing facility to water board for $200M. cc: * suggests the mayor's rhetoric on taxation was "class warfare," too.* Catsimatidis says he'll freeze what he can (ie property taxes): "I don't look for excuses not to freeze things." * Lhota says his "mall cop" comment was a "mistake," adding that he "can be quite blunt and politically incorrect." * Catsimatidis going after Lhota for supporting fare hikes as head of the MTA (before leaving to run for mayor).* "I never said I wanted to kill a cat." - Lhota GOP debate!!!!* The final exchange was preceded by a brief old-married-couple squabble about telling the truth. Stand by for more! * Lhota: The cats would have scurried away; it doesn't make sense to stop the trains for hours and inconvenience New Yorkers. * Lhota: "very important that we continue everything that Ray has started" including the surveillance of Muslims (Capital) * . says "I will go Albany and seek to have the commuter tax" reinstated but "likelihood of that happening is zero."

    1. Wow! Serious in the weeds questions. That NYT Editorial snapped someone.
      Some Dissafected Democrats Turning to Joe Lhota via
A judge has set December 2 as the start date for a new trial for former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who is accused of mail fraud and other charges, Gannett Albany reports: http://bit.ly/1d36UKg


1. Deceptive Promises

Thompson’s and de Blasio’s deceptive promises in race for mayor(Goodwin, NYP)

The rise of Sharpton from rabble-rouser to potential kingmaker demonstrates just how far the Dems have fallen. The pandering to the municipal unions that marked the start of the contest now looks like the good old days. With Tuesday’s primary vote near, the candidates’ promises to deliver magic is the New York version of Hope & Change. How to keep crime down, how to balance a precarious budget and how to fix the schools will be the challenges on Day One. They vow to provide more free stuff, from housing to child care to college, but not a single reform that will cut taxes, spur growth, create jobs or make the city a better place to live and work.* Democratic mayoral candidates gather at Rev. Al Sharpton's headquarters before racing to other campaign events around the city (NYDN) The five major Democratic contenders — Bill de Blasio, Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson, John Liu and Anthony Weiner — joined one last time on Saturday at Sharpton's House of Justice in Harlem, then made a dash around the city in a whirlwind of electioneering. * Mayor’s Race Offers Varied Twists in Last Push(NYT) With just days to go before the primary election, the leading candidates are immersed in the final, frantic phase of the campaign: getting people to the polls to NYPost columnist John Podhoretz: "Are we really going to elect an ultra-liberal mayor because of one good commercial?"* 

2.  Now the NYP Has Their Sports Reporter Talking About Stop and Frisk
Mayoral candidates must have deeper talks on racial profiling(NYP) 
The indisputable fact of this matter is that racial profiling — as well as gender, religious, ethnic, sexual preference, personal finance, occupation and overall social profiling — can’t possibly be illegal or unconstitutional, not when both prosecutorial and defense lawyers heavily rely upon — and admit to — such profiling in the selection of juries.* Dems want to increase New York’s already heavy tax burden(NYDN)

What you don't know about Big Bill de Blasio
Digging deeper into de Blasio's associations
A Daily News investigative look at de Blasio, including his wife's stint writing speeches for Citigroup CEO * Last year, de Blasio took the unusual step of soliciting a second round of political contributions from a dozen individuals and unions that had already maxed out to his 2013 campaign. He contended this was legal because he was using the latest contributions to pay off debts from his 2009 run for Public Advocate.

Mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn slams Bill de Blasio after revelations that he solicited 'corrupt' landlord for campaign contributions(NYDN)


Chris Owens
Everybody ran after Rev. Sharpton's endorsement -- like fools -- and look what it got them. Everyone spent time and money on a photo op in DC and it got them even less. The Rev. continues to play everyone willing to be played. I give him credit for his skillfulness. But one day people will wake up.


Quinn said it was another example of de Blasio 'changing his position' to suit the office he is running for. De Blasio sought campaign contributions from Stephen Green two years after blasting him as 'one of the most corrupt landlords' in New York.



The Media Who Failed  to Inform the Voters Cartoonized the Campaign

Stuck on Weiner
Race for mayor: Outer borough residents weigh in on candidates, Bloomberg, Sandy recovery, stop and frisk(NYDN) Neighborhood voices from Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island share their opinions on Bloomberg fatigue, Anthony Weiner's texting scandal, stop-and-frisk, state exams, Hurricane Sandy cleanup — and how these things will influence their vote.

Arzt Told Reporters All Summer He Was Not Working for  A Mayoral Candidate
Christine Quinn Takes a Seat at Ed Koch’s Table(NYO)



    1. 49s
      Joe Lhota on education: "I want all of our schools to be excellent."
Giuliani said Dem candidates would "destroy" policing.
Video: Rudy Giuliani Press Conference With Joe Lhota

 Cuomo Slams Bloomberg Praises de Blasio

Whoa. Governor Cuomo slams Mayor Bloomberg for "racist" remark and heaps praise on DeBlasio. vi 






Daily news tells brooklyn to "dump Hynes" Daily news tells brooklyn to "dump Hynes"  Dump Hynes (NYDN Ed)
Kenneth Thompson is the better choice for Brooklyn district attorney * DN says choice was "compelled by serious evidence that Hynes has presided over miscarriages of justice."
Charles Hynes, 78, is running for a seventh term on a record that includes findings by two federal judges of grievous misconduct by a top aide, an investigation into whether dozens of cases produced wrongful convictions and credible charges of having failed to effectively act on sexual abuse in the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. The jobless rate in some is double the city rate of 8.7 percent.

 In Brooklyn Prosecutor’s Race, Invoking Racially Charged Cases(NYT) * Sex abuse victim shamed during synagogue prayers(NYP) * Two Candidates for Brooklyn Prosecutor, Two Cases That Divided City(NYT) District Attorney Charles J. Hynes and his Democratic opponent, Kenneth P. Thompson, have repeatedlymentioned the high-profile trials that put them in the spotlight.



Best story yet on REBNY's strategy behind its Jobs for New York PAC: (Real Deal) REBNY's races: An inside look at industry-backed PAC's coming influence
In May, the Real Estate Board of New York, the industry’s powerful lobbying group, announced that it was leading the creation of a political action committee that would spend up to $10 million to influence City Council races around the five boroughs. The PAC, called Jobs for New York, represented the trade group’s first foray into independent expenditure in city races — money spent on a campaign without any involvement of the candidate. With voters going to the polls this month to cast their ballots in the primary races, it will soon become clear just how influential the PAC’s dollars are. But sources say if REBNY’s candidates prevail, the group could have influence over a slew of council members, who often have tremendous sway when it comes to development projects in their districts.* . mailer hitting for accepting Jobs4NY endorsement.
. only tweets out their positive mail-pieces. But you can see their stream of nasty negative ones here:







































































































































Hard left turn ahead for City Council(CrainsNY)
Liberal activists plot the 2014 agenda with few obstacles in sight.
Mandatory paid sick leave for all small businesses. A living-wage requirement for retailers. Curtailed development subsidies. Higher unincorporated business taxes for filers making more than $500,000. A tax hike on hedge-fund managers. No matter how the Sept. 10 primary elections shake out, ideas anathema to the business community are more likely to become reality starting next year, as City Council liberals go into overdrive on causes hitherto bottled up by outgoing City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.


Whoa!! This mailer claims endorsement by none other than










Spitzer: "The soul of a wolverine." If Eliot Spitzer wins, expect reprisals



Republican Candidates Seek Precision From Their Outreach Plans(NYT)
Joseph J. Lhota and John A. Catsimatidis are seeking to drum up support and turn out hard-to-find conservative voters in Tuesday’s primary.







The Media Writes About GOTV But Never Examines the Backgrounds of Those Who Are Pulling the Vote

The NYP who is working to elect Stinger has exposed the political thugs working for Spitzer. But the Post and the other media has not exposed the dozens of other thugs working for candidates throughout the city. Not one story about Stanley Schlein, Mike Nussbaum or Joe Crowley

Spitzer’s 70G to shady Dem group(NYP)
Eliot Spitzer has steered $70,000 in campaign funds to a shadowy group with ties to corrupt former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman, The Post has learned. The Brooklyn group, Time for Change Consulting, is run by Musa Moore, a pal of Norman from his days as party leader before he was jailed for accepting illegal campaign contributions during his Assembly races. “Musa runs that organization, but Clarence is the power behind it,” a Brooklyn political insider said. Ken Thompson, who has launched an aggressive campaign to unseat Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, spent $22,500 on the group.
Thompson’s spokesman, James Freedland, shot back with his own allegation of hypocrisy, noting Hynes’ campaign manager, Taharka Robinson, was convicted of assault and robbery in 1987. “While Clarence Norman has no role in Ken’s campaign, District Attorney Hynes’ campaign manager is a convicted felon who served years in prison for assault and robbery.* True News (The Bund): Lobbyists Stanley Schlein * True News: A Takeover Of Journalism by Lobbyist and Politicians


For Months True News Has Focused On the Checkered Backgrounds of the Individuals Who Run Campaigns in NY

A criminal investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed subordinates did not deter him. Nor did civil suits accusing him of groping and other unwanted intimacies. Nor censure by the State Assembly, nor the clamor of fellow Democrats that forced him to resign as the party’s chairman in Brooklyn and step down from the Legislature.  he former assemblyman, Vito J. Lopez, is running again, this time for City Council, and despite the lingering scandal, he has at least a fair chance of winning. Security guards at a 2,700-unit co-op complex that Lopez helped develop won’t let campaign workers for City Council candidates challenging him knock on doors, just one of the “tricks” Lopez is accused of pulling.  Also, many constituents still LOVE him. They simply don't believe he sexually harassed his employees * calls reporter "aggressive" & berates her for covering his campaign. All on tape.

Former Assemblyman Vito Lopez files to have sexual harassment lawsuit thrown out(NYDN) The pervy ex-pol — who with the state Assembly previously settled two other complaints for $135,000 — swears that he never harassed Victoria Burhans, 27, or Chloe Rivera, 25. The filing also states that the ethics report against Lopez that led him to resign lacked 'fundamental fairness.'

Today the NYP Agrees Political Thugs Are Running Campaigns
The Post rips New York City comptroller candidate Eliot Spitzer for discussing the “great things” he accomplished with embattled ex-assemblyman Vito Lopez, as well as soliciting help from former pols Clarence Norman and Naomi Rivera:
Lopez and Spitzer: Partners in slime(NYP Ed) Eliot. Speaking to Politico, Spitzer talked about the “great things” the two did together on housing before each was brought down by his own sex scandal. Spitzer is also reported to be getting help from former Brooklyn Democratic Chairman Clarence Norman, who actually did something Spitzer hasn’t: serve time in prison, in his case for political corruption. In addition, former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, who’s under investigation for steering state grants to her boyfriends, is a paid consultant.
Machiavellian move that could only be engineered by Vito Lopez
Sleaze & thank you, El backers (NYP) Shunned by the Democratic establishment, Eliot Spitzer has reached out to officials with checkered backgrounds to support his run for city comptroller — including two longtime allies of disgraced ex-Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

State Sen. Martin Dilan and his son, City Councilman Erik Dilan, who have been tied to Lopez for years, are among the handful of elected officials backing Spitzer over Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.  “The Dilans are very loyal to Vito. From everything we know, . . . behind the scenes, they’re doing everything they can to help Vito,” said one political operative.

The Bronx and Carl Andrews Machine for Spitzer
Something Tells Me That Spitzer Will Do Very Good in the Bronx  Former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, who was investigated for putting one boyfriend on a government payroll and another at a nonprofit, is a paid Spitzer campaign consultant.* \Spitzer getting help from lobbyist with shady connections - NYPOST ...

 





________________________________________________________
Final Days Of the Mayoral Campaigns

True News Saturday PM Update
* In Home Stretch, Republican Candidates for Mayor Try Precision in Outreach(NYT)
How do you find 50K GOP primary voters in a city of 8.3 million? A look at the turnout challenge facing Cats & Lhota:

A Campaign About Messages Not Debating Issues or Defending Policy Ideas
Email Messages
Kiss Baby, Smile, Check Phone (Over and Over)(NYT) At forums, New York mayoral candidates seem more interested in their smartphones than in opponents’ arguments.* The de Blasio family is the iconic symbol of the election representation every family in NYC and their aspirations Brilliant* De Blasio Goes Stumping in Quinn Country(NYT) Blasio, in campaigning at the neighborhood subway stop of Christine C. Quinn, ventured into the home territory of one of his main rivals.
  1. Three days before critical Mayoral election and runs another trite article:

CRUNCH TIME: Bill de Blasio campaigns in Quinn's district as Christine Quinn rallies at Stonewall in final days before primary(NYDN) * Sorry, progressives, but Bill de Blasio's campaign does not necessarily portend a new, national liberal revival (Salon) * Buffaloed by Bill(NYP Ed) Heading into the final stretch of the mayoral primary, Bill de Blasio continues to do what even his liberal rivals won’t: take Democratic class warfare to its craziest conclusions. “We live in a tale of two cities,” he says. “It’s literally true. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer.” If elected mayor, de Blasio says he will take money from the rich and use it to make life better for everyone else. * Quinn: "message that the LGBT community & all the great NYers who support us, that we're the majority of this city" * .: social justice without economic justice is not enough. thats what this election is about.
Why Christine Quinn angers voters(NYT) * like Clinton, Quinn didn’t seem to truly appreciate the threat of de Blasio until he had already surged ahead of her.(Politico)


________________________________________________________
Bloomberg's War

Bloomberg on Bill de Blasio's campaign: 
"Class-Warfare and Racist"
Bloomberg: “I thought the Times was right in their editorials on Lhota and Quinn. I’m very pleased about that.” (NY Mag)

Update NYMag update adds these words from Bloomberg "Well, no, no, I mean" when Smith asks "Racist?" Updated NYMag interview here: 
* Between Dowd and NY Mag, it appears recorders no longer function in NYC. This time, good for de Blasio.

Chirlane McCray: "Mike Bloomberg enough of the patriarchal thinking. I am not property or a tool to be used or controlled. Stop the sexism."
  1. the no's were not cut. they were inaudible, as our editor's note says.

  1. And yet, has endorsed neither.
    Bloomy: "most of our crime is in two neighborhoods: southeast Bronx, central Brooklyn," all minority males * In NYMag interview, Bloomberg The Irritated can't help mocking de Blasio: "He doesn’t have any ideas." To Bloomberg, de Blasio is "using his family to gain support," and that's racist.* Lhota On Possible Bloomberg Endorsement: ‘I’m Not Really Focused On It Right Now’ 
    Bloomberg: "I’m too liberal for the liberals, because I actually try to deliver the services rather than just promise them." Bloomberg says de Blasio's campaign is "class warfare&racist," only 2 NYs in the sense of "one group paying for services for the other." "Wouldn't it be great if we could get all the Russian billionaires to move here?" -Mayor Bloomberg* De Blasio is running a racist campaign: Bloomberg(NYP) * Bloomberg Says de Blasio Has Run a ‘Racist’ Campaign(NYT) * Mayor : Bill ’s campaign is "racist." 
    * Cuomo blasts Bloomberg over mayor's race via


    De Blasio Response to the Racism Charge
    De Blasio Family Rallies to His Defense After Mayor’s ‘Racist’ Remark(NYO)
    De Blasio Responds to Bloomberg's Comments About His 'Racist' Campaign (NY Mag)
    Bill de Blasio Fundraises Off Mayor Bloomberg's "" Remark: "Man, He's Out Of Touch" | NY Daily News

     

    Bertha Speeks
    The "Bertha Lewis" defending de Blasio here is ACORN's Bertha Lewis, right?
    In 2005 Bertha Lewis *kissed* Mike Bloomberg onnects to



    Bloomberg on Buy the NYT
    Bloomy won't answer on whether he'd like to buy NYT, says if you "want to have fun, buy the New York Post" Bloomberg indicates to NYMag that Rupert Murdoch told him last week that the NYPost loses $100M/year* NY Mag: "So you should buy the NY Post" Bloomberg: "No. I would try to upscale it, and that’s what would destroy it."
      1. Reminder: words aside, Bloomberg has lowered city's racial temperature, leaves office with around 60% of NYers saying race relations good.
      2. Is that why de Blasio’s pumping ending stop and frisk is working so well?

________________________________________________________
The Focus de Blasio
Hits Coming Late On de Blasio
Candidate Bill De Blasio sought money from ‘corrupt’ landlord: sources(NYDN)While running for public advocate in 2009, de Blasio ripped opponent Mark Green's brother, Stephen, as 'one of the most corrupt landlords in New York City.' Two years late, when de Blasio's attention shifted to his mayoral campaign, he reached out to Stephen Green for a campaign contribution, sources say. * De Blasio Pushes on Land Use(WSJ) Liberal Mayoral Candidate Would Continue Many of Bloomberg's Policies

Cuomo No Show On Saving LICH

Debating a Fix for Hospitals in Dire Straits(NYT)
While the Democratic candidates for mayor seem to agree on saving the city’s hospitals, the Cuomo administration is not throwing the struggling facilities a lifeline. And Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, who helped make the hospitals a main issue by getting arrested at a rally to save Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, said, “Since 1990, 52 hospitals in New York State, half of them in the city, have closed or been converted into another type of medical center. In that time, the state has tried to keep remaining hospitals alive by authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in bond sales or direct subsidies. But the Cuomo administration believes that New York State, especially in Brooklyn, still has more hospital beds than it needs and that some of the weakest facilities might have to shut down or be significantly reshaped. Generally, the Brooklyn hospitals that are in financial straits disproportionately serve patients with Medicaid, which pays less than private insurers, and the uninsured.

________________________________________________________
Sharpton Wacks Thompson

UFT: Vote for Pay Rai$e, No Rev Sharpton
Thompson ‘retro pay’ teach twist(NYP)
The United Federation of Teachers is telling its members to come out in droves to vote for mayoral candidate Bill Thompson because he will give them back pay — even though he insists he didn’t promise fat raises to win union support.* Rev. Al Sharpton tries to minimize blow to friend and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson with neutral position(NYDN) * . Winning Friends in the Bronx
* No snubs, he insists RT 'We All Cool Up Here': Al Sharpton Explains His Neutrality in Mayor's Race

________________________________________________________
City Planning Who?
An Entire Primary Has Been Run and Nobody Knows Who Will Replace the City Planning Commissioner Burden?
As Bloomberg administration winds down, a "frenzy" b4 City Planning Still no campaign talk about who'd replace Burden.  In a city that is losing it middle class neighbors the only thing the candidates have told the voters that they plan to save the middle class, but they have not said how.  Some have said they want to  build affordable housing but have not said how they will fund it or what constitutes affordable.


Cats swings at Lhota(NYP)
Lhota spokeswoman Jessica Proud shot back that Catsimatdis is a “desperate candidate who is spending millions of dollars in nasty, negative personal attacks in a last-ditch attempt to move poll numbers that show him poised for an embarrassing defeat.” “Voters aren’t buying what he’s selling. Maybe he should stick to his overpriced milk.”

 
In Wakefield, Struggling and Worried About Being Forgotten(NYT)
Many in the Bronx neighborhood are concerned that the next mayor will overlook their concerns about policing tactics and the increasingly high cost of living.

________________________________________________________
Albany Lawyers Up

The Lawmakers Hire Lawyers to Fight Moreland Questions About Outside Work
Anticorruption Panel Tells State Legislators to Disclose Outside Work and Clients(NYT) New York’s new corruption-fighting commission is asking all state lawmakers to provide details never required before about their outside work prompting the Legislature to hire a lawyer.* Make ’em come clean(NYDN Ed) An independent commisssion asks lawmakers to report who's paying their outside incomes, and why





________________________________________________________
Who is Watching the Pollsters?
Pollsters Have No Idea What Effect Council Candidates Pulling Operations Will Have On Who Shows Up At the Polls.  Their Voter Samples Are Guesses
Reporter and Pols Have Taken the QPoll As the Word of God, Lets See Tuesday
Today's reporters see their job as copying press release and  quoting pols, have accepted the polls this years as a done deal.  Political campaigns are trap in that many voters and groups like to hitch their vote on the frontrunner. Primary polls are much hard to choose because most of the candidates on the major issues. In  2009 the polls at the end of the general elections showed Bloomberg winning by 11% to 15%,  he won by 4.6% . to release one more poll of likely Democratic voters for mayor and comptroller: Monday at 8 AM

We Are Stuck With Journalist Who Could Only Copy Press Releases Not Analysis Polls
Final Polls in the 2009 Mayor's Race
Quinnipiac10/29 - 11/11360 LV5038Bloomberg +12
SurveyUSA10/28 - 10/29606 LV5342Bloomberg +11
Marist10/26 - 10/28524 LV5338Bloomberg +15
    1. Expect Monday to exclude key vote in their last Mayor and Comptroller poll of Dem primary. * Take polls with buckets of salt (NYDN)
      The methodology is often flawed, and group-think is downright dangerous
        1. The past 72 hours religious Jews did not answer phones that means all polls are missing huge chunk of voters


       True News PM Updates
      The Moreland Commission on public corruption is asking state lawmakers to disclose more details about outside income and are threatening to issues subpoenas, possibly overstepping their authority, the Associated Press reports: The Moreland Commission asked all state lawmakers to provide never-before-required details about their outside work - including a list of law clients - prompting the Legislature to lawyer up for a possible challenge to the panel’s authority.




      The Voting Blocs of New York City(NYT)


      A guide to the groups that are likely to wield the most influence in Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary. Key Voting Blocks
Interactive: Mayoral Candidates’ Endorsements(WSJ)






Bloomberg will endorse Republican Joe Lhota for mayor if Bill de Blasio wins the Democratic nomination, who Bloomberg fears will dismantle his 12-year legacy
Michael Bloomberg set to endorse Lhota(NYP)
Bloomberg plans to back Joe Lhota for mayor if Bill de Blasio wins the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, sources have told The Post. City Hall insiders said Hizzoner — fearing the Democratic public advocate would dismantle his 12-year legacy if elected mayor — has warmed up to the former MTA chairman and deputy to Rudy Giuliani. Mayor Bloomberg was "irresponsible" in not getting city workers a contract, Bill de Blasio says.*. had said he would run on party line in general no matter what. Possibly backtracking now, he won't answer the question* John Catsimatidis: "We’re going to have a problem if one of the Democrats gets it,” he said. “Why? They want to give the streets back to the hoodlums.” [Thomas Kaplan] * Home Depot founder helping Joe Lhota in NYC mayoral race (Politico)
  1. . called Mayor "stupid"...that's wrong. So is this story

"I would welcome the embrace of Bloomberg." Lhota

 



NYT Very Disconnected From the Voters

NYT Still Does Not See That Bloomberg Already Was Going GOP . . .  I Guess They Are In Shock Over the Public Rejecting Their Endorsed Candidate Quinn
Seeking to Succeed Bloomberg, While Keeping Him at a Distance(NYT) The race for mayor has taken on an anti-Bloomberg message, and his endorsement, once coveted, is now seen as a detriment to both Democratic and Republican candidates.




The Bloomberg Legacy Candidate Lhota
Bloomberg could build on his anti-crime, pro-business legacy by supporting Joe Lhota(NYP)
Seeking to Succeed Bloomberg, While Keeping Him at a Distance(NYT) The race for mayor has taken on an anti-Bloomberg message, and his endorsement, once coveted, is now seen as a detriment to both Democratic and Republican candidates.* Giuliani to Hit the Trail with Lhota(NYO) * John Catsimatidis appears to have backtracked on his plans to run in the general election. He is seeking GOP nomination; has 2 other lines.

de Blasio Already Says Team Lhota Played the Race Card, Lhota No Way
Sharpon Has de Blasio on His Radio Show The Same Day He Said He Is Not Endorsing In That Race
de Blasio, who continues to lead in Democratic primary polls, played the race card against Lhota on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s radio show yesterday. He cited a story by The Christian Science Monitor that claimed Lhota’s campaign surveyed voters about de Blasio’s marriage to a black woman, Chirlane McCray. Lhota vehemently denied putting out a poll that asked about any candidate’s family. “It’s absolutely wrong. There’s no place for that in this world,” Lhota said. * Bill de Blasio, Bill Thompson seek support from Harlem voters as mayoral vote nears(NYDN) * Bill Thompson 'has the best background' for the mayor's office: Mario Cuomo(NYDN) * Bill Thompson said his education plan is less "pretend" than Bill de Blasio's. [Azi Paybarah]* GONZALEZ: Bill de Blasio frames 'Tale of Two Cities' in Harlem * . camp email "Two-Faced": "every voter should see what Bill de Blasio said about extending term limits..."

A Family Favor Returned From Some Time Ago
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is staying out of the mayor’s race, but his father Mario Cuomo, while not making an endorsement, showered praise on Mr. Thompson. “Thompson is extraordinarily bright, he’s extraordinarily educated in the field, and had the job of counting the money,” the ex-governor said. “He has the best background. And he speaks clearly and responsibly.”


Teachers Union PAC: 
Tries A Thompson Appeal for the Latino Vote
And the teachers union’s political action committee unveiled a TV ad promoting Thompson, a former city comptroller and Board of Education president. The ad, titled “Forgotten” and featuring an adorable girl in a stroller, is aimed at appealing to black and Latino voters. * The Ad Campaign: Daughter Helps Present Thompson as the Education Candidate(NYT) * New York City's Public Education Challenges(NYT Ed) Testing, school choice, accountability and more testing. Where should the next mayor start?* Cuomo reiterated his comments calling for a “death penalty” for failing schools across the state, saying he intends to set benchmarks and consequences for schools who don’t provide students an adequate education, The Buffalo News reports:  * Bill Thompson plans free CUNY for B students(NYDN) * The teachers unions and their allies may hate Cuomo’s “death penalty” for failing schools talk, but not everyone does.




City And States  Says Thompson Was the Establishment Candidates, What About Quinn? . . .  The Real  Story Here is the Public Have Rejected the Establishment Candidates
Bill Thompson has positioned himself as the establishment candidate in the mayoral race, with widespread institutional support and backing from powerful interest groups, but with a spotty career as a city manager, can he handle running the city? * Bill de Blasio's Campaign for the 99 Percent Enjoys Broad Support in NYC Race(PoliticsUSA)
* Dante de Blasio Considers a Future Run for Elected Office (WSJ)  Bill de Blasio says he doesn't believe Mayor Bloomberg has done enough to help poor people. Bill de Blasio says again on Channel 11 that he expects a runoff. It's going to be a "hard-fought battle" in primary and runoff, he says. frames Tuesday's primary, in an email: "Progress versus the status quo."


Quinn The Only Women in the Race is Not Getting the Women's Vote
Quinn's struggle for female votes(NYDN Ed)
In an op-ed, an NYU professor asks "Why is it that 75% of female Democratic voters in one of the most progressive cities in the county don’t support Quinn?" 
Just a quarter of Democratic women tell pollsters they'll vote for her potentially history making candidacy. Why not more? Quinn's biggest obstacle "may not b her ties 2 MRB or her actions as speaker [but] inability 2appeal 2 female voters" The latest polls show that not only is she trailing Bill de Blasio by 15 points, but she lags behind him when it comes to women.

Only 25% of likely female voters support her compared to 30% who favor de Blasio. This is a critical problem in an election in which women could make up 60% of the vote.* In the Daily News, Jeanne Zaino, a professor of political communication strategy at New York University, examines why Quinn is having difficulties connecting with female voters in the mayoral race * How participatory budgeting became normal practice on the New York City Council. [Dana Rubinstein] * How Bill de Blasio and Christine Quinn answered StreetsPAC's questionnaire. [Brad Aaron]* "I never believed those polls when they had us in the frontrunner position..Most of that was...name recognition" on the radio * Quinn’s Closing Argument: Steady Hand, Big Heart(YNN) * Radio Show Callers Grill Christine Quinn(NYO) * Did NYC Council Speaker Chris Quinn miss the city’s “liberal moment“? She doesn’t think so.* Landlords Who Reap Millions From City Housing Homeless Bet Big on De Blasio (NY Mag)


It Is All Up to Candidates GOTV Operations
For Democratic mayoral candidates de Blasio, Bill Thompson and Christine Quinn, the hotly contested race may come down to which candidate has the best get-out-the-vote operation, which are expected to ramp up this weekend, The Wall Street Journal writes:
  • [image]In Final Blitz, Mayoral Campaigns Flood Field(WSJ) Christine Quinn's aides said their GOTV operation is huge; Bill Thompson's campaign says theirs is strategic and Bill de Blasio's is leaner

    Today’s amNewYork predicts the mayoral race will get negative
    The three main Democratic mayoral rivals are counting on field operations that include thousands of door knocks, evening phone calls to voters and targeted visits from the candidates themselves.* And they’re off: With just four days before the primary, the candidates are ramping up their get-out-the-vote operations. “We have an incredibly sophisticated field operation and a really aggressive get-out-the-vote operation,” explained Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “Everything old-fashioned and 21st-century, from Facebook to Twittering.”
  



Spitzer goes on the ad-tack as Stringer closes gapSpitzer goes on the ad-tack as Stringer closes gap(NYP) The Love Gov’s potshot at the longtime politician — who insists he has supported abolishing term limits as a principle for years — came one day after a Quinnipiac University poll showed the two contenders running neck-and-neck in the formerly lopsided race.* The Ad Campaign: Stringer Says Spitzer ‘Held Himself to a Different Standard’(NYT) * The Ad Campaign: Spitzer Attacks Stringer on Term Limits(NYT)


Daily News Hits Spitzer's Checkbook
Eliot’s checkbook politics (NYDN Ed) Spitzer chucks reform to win at any cost With the polls showing a surge in voter support for Scott Stringer in the Democratic race for city controller, Eliot Spitzer is pouring money — big money — into his redemption drive. Desperation to win has trumped principle.Thursday, Spitzer had boosted his contributions to $10.3 million and had spent $8.9 million. What’s not fair game is Spitzer’s push to leverage his wealth to overwhelm Stringer with commercials. He used to swear by campaign reform, but not now.* AIG bigs in court bid for Spitzer’s emails(NYP) Former AIG executive Howard Smith is seeking work-related emails from Spitzer’s personal account as part of his defense against a civil fraud suit that Spitzer brought against him and another executive during his term as state attorney general* Cuomo Silent on Spitzer-Stringer Race(WSJ) * Eliot Spitzer, Scott Stringer launch vicious attack ads on TV(NYDN) * The Ad Campaign: Spitzer Attacks Stringer on Term Limits(NYT)

BP & City Council Races
The tone of a campaign for an open City Council seat in Manhattan has turned vicious, with both candidates, Yetta Kurland and Corey Johnson, sending out mailings attacking each other, despite holding similar positions on many issues, the Times reports: The political action committee behind the mailings, Fighting for Our Future, is financed by the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York, a union that Mr. McLeod said Ms. Kurland had angered with her opposition to a plan to build condominiums on the site of St. Vincent’s Hospital.


The Post endorses Peter Vallone Jr. for Queens Borough President, citing his “unflinching” advocacy for pro-active policing and his commitment to the middle class: * El Diario endorsed Queens borough president candidate Melinda Katz because she "has the best plan to advance this community's agenda." [El Diario]




Council Races  Around the City
Bronx Democrat says he agreed to run as a Republican so he could control poll worker jobs(NYDN)

Joel R. Rivera later backtracks on why he took the GOP line. Rival says he's 'unfit for office.'Bronx City Council candidate Joel Rivera was caught on tape saying he accepted the Republican Party line, on top of the Democratic Party line, so he could control poll worker jobs


Inez Barron Vies for Husband's Council Seat With a Slightly Different Tune(NYO)

Public advocate candidate Reshma Saujani says she still helps pay for her parents’ mortgage and sends them money, but her parents live in a $900,000 home and both donated $4,950 to her campaign, State of Politics reports: 

Council candidate Joel Rivera, running for Councilman Joel Rivera's seat, urges voters to vote, "A name you know"

Brooklyn’s 40th District could be up for grabs as three rivals make run at incumbent (NYDN)

City Councilman Mathieu Eugene faces a tough challenge from Saundra Thomas, who raised the most money of all the candidates, Sylvia Kinard and John Grant. Eugene's track record could also hurt his as the primary approaches.
 


The Post opines on Three New York City Council primary races featuring candidates with unsavory records and opponents that present hope for the future

NYP Endorse in the 5th District (Upper East Side): Assemblyman Micah Kellner was favored to win this open seat until it came out that Speaker Sheldon Silver had kept sexual harassment complaints against him secret. Since then, he’s lost many key endorsements, and rightly so. Opponent Ben Kallos, a young community board member and former Assembly staffer, is a conventional liberal but has thumped for genuine legislative transparency. We prefer him to Kellner.

NYP Endorse in the 9th District (Central Harlem, Morningside Heights, Upper West Side): Voters should think twice about re-electing Inez Dickens, if only because it puts her in position to become the council’s next speaker. As The Post has reported, Dickens owes $265,000 in unpaid fines on properties she and her family owns; she’s directed member-item cash to a museum that employs the wife of her patron, Assemblyman Keith Wright; and she’s hired a former top gubernatorial staffer once arrested for domestic violence. Challenger Vince Morgan offers an alternative without the sordid baggage.

NYP Endorse in the 34th District (Williamsburg/Bushwick; Ridgewood): Yes, he left the state Assembly in disgrace. But sexual harasser Vito Lopez is looking to the council for a political comeback — and has even qualified for $90,000 in public financing. His strongest opponent is Antonio Reynoso, former chief of staff to outgoing Councilwoman Diana Reyna. We urge a vote for Reynoso to ensure that Vito Lopez’s exit from political office remains permanent.





NYP Endorse in the 41st District (Bed-Stuy, East Flatbush, Crown Heights): Here we have a different story. This race features four candidates challenging two-term incumbent Darlene Mealy, who has one of the council’s lowest attendance records and is backed by most of the city’s public unions. We’re excited by challenger Kathleen Daniel, a charter-school mom who serves on the Community Education Council in Bedford-Stuyvesant and has worked for Families for Excellent Schools. This is a lady who advocates passionately for giving parents more choices with regard to their children’s education, and who took on the unions when they sued to shut her daughter’s charter. We urge a vote for Daniel — and hope her example will encourage others like her to run in the ­future.

Back to the 70's
New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott echoes Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson's complaint about New York City slipping back to the high-crime era of the 1970s, writing in an op-ed, "Whoever sets the city’s education agenda for the next four years had best recall how bad things once were — and how easy it would be to relive the disasters of the past." [New York Post]


True News Exclusive JobsNY is doing calls and they are making a bunch of calls into wrong districts


Lobbyist Crook Evan Stavisky Running Jobs4NY Showing Everyone His Abilities
 Jobs for New York, a political action committee dedicated to electing pro-development City Council candidates, rolled out a new round of endorsements today. The PAC, was founded as a partial counterweight to the left-leaning Working Families Party, has raised at least $8 million and has said it intends to spend up to $10 million on independent expenditures in support of its chosen candidates. Small Business PAC Targets More Tight Races | Politicker


The political action committee Jobs For New York, aligned with New York City’s real estate industry, has spent $7 million so far on pro-business candidates in City Council races, hoping to ensure a continuation of Bloomberg’s policies, The New York Times reports: 
Business Group Pours Cash Into Council Races
Updated charts show spending by candidates and independent groups. Note the spending for Bill Thompson, Eliot Spitzer, Jessica Lappin, Margaret Chin, Richard del Rio, Corey Johnson, Micah Kellner, Mark Levine, Ritchie Torres, Vanessa Gibson, Paul Vallone, Manuel Caughman and I. Daneek Miller, Laurie Cumbo. Kirsten Foy, Rafael Espinal Jr., Sara Gonzalez, Mark Treyger, Ari Kagan and Steven Matteo. [NYCCFB] *  . has spent $275k per race on biz-friendly council candidates - or more than spending cap* Both The New York Times and WNYC profiled Jobs for New York, the real estate-backed PAC which has spent $7 million trying to affect various City Council races. The PAC often supports challengers to candidates backed by the Working Families Party, but not always. “Instead of trying to beat us, they’re trying to purchase influence,” argued the WFP’s Bill Lipton. *  Theresa Scavo launched a direct mail piece attacking , which supports opponent
Jobs for New York : ind expenditures of $493,195 supporting 18 candidates, opposing 10 -
Jobs for New York : ind expenditures of $37,139 supporting Ari Kagan -  

7m
Money Tracker For Sept. 6 | New York Daily News

Ambulances Make Limited Return To LICH (NY1)





As Doubts Over Detective Grew, Prosecutors Also Made Missteps(NYT)
The Brooklyn district attorney’s office is reviewing cases handled by Louis Scarcella, a detective accused of fabricating confessions. But the work of prosecutors is also in question. "An examination by NYT of some cases Mr. Scarcella handled indicates that prosecutors in the [Brooklyn] district attorney’s office itself either ignored warning signs in the detective’s work or made missteps of their own." 
DA Hynes: "The black community, by and large, is mine." INTERVIEW: Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes Seeks a Seventh Term
Brooklyn DA candidate Ken Thompson has a new TV ad that features his “hero” – his mom, who was one of the first female NYPD officers. 
BK DA Hynes' opponent cites prosecutorial misconduct on the campaign trail.  
Scandal-Plagued D.A. Faces Verdict At The Polls(Huff Post)
 



speaks out on shooting death of 1-year-old baby. Says it should spur fight to get guns off streets.
Historical note - Lhota was one of 2 Rudy aides open to Bloomy in early '01, when he was still a laugher candidate
Bill de Blasio Says Joe Lhota May Wage Racially Divisive Campaign

This  is Not the Only Time You Will Hear the de Blasio Comparison to Dinkins This Fall
Is Bill de Blasio the New Dinkins? Fred Siegel weighs in for
* Unions Might Find a Friend in City Hall(WSJ)
* "We do not have enough money for retroactive pay,'' , differentiating himself from Democratic candidates.
ACORN played pivotal role in 2001 City Council race

True News PM Campaign Updates
UFT PAC Releases First Pro-Thompson TV Ad(NYO)
Christine Quinn Stumps for Votes in Vito Lopez’s Backyard(NYO)
gets endorsements from 3 black papers including Black Star News & Our Time Press
Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani will hit the campaign trail for his ex-deputy, Joe Lhota, over the weekend.
The NYC Bar Association has posted the citywide candidates’ responses to its questionnaire on public integrity.
De Blasio Warns Lhota Not to Run a Racially Divisive Campaign(NYO)
Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s campaign is staying calm heading into the primary, with an insider saying no other candidate has the “breadth and scope and detailed get-out-the-vote plan that we do,” DNAinfo writes: http://dnain.fo/1aahsWZ
Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson proposed giving any city student who gets a B average or better in high school free tuition for the first year at CUNY or a city community college, the Daily News reports: http://nydn.us/1cLlkPk 
Rev. Al Sharpton’s top deputy endorsed Reshma Saujani for city public advocate, saying she will use the office to make “real changes,” but Sharpton has not weighed in on the race, the Daily News reports: http://nydn.us/1dKd597
. endorses , says the overlooked candidate is a lot like Rockaway.  
: CFB Money Tracker For Sept. 5 | New York Daily News  

Albany Leadership Fight
Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said she was ”sad and surprised” by the news that IDC Leader Jeff Klein had conversations about finding a candidate to primary her in 2014. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I was kind of sad and surprised that Senator Klein would be spending his summer vacation trying to overthrow the Democratic leader. Frankly, I’ve always tried to work with all of my partners in government, and I certainly hope that the Democrats at some point would be able to come together and be the Democratic majority and the leaders that the vast majority of New Yorkers had voted for.” – State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins on reports that IDC Leader Jeff Klein was trying to find a primary challenger to her, via Gannett Albany.  * Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said she was “sad and surprised” to learn that Independent Democratic Conference leader Jeff Klein wanted to find a candidate to challenge her in 2014, Gannett Albany writes: http://bit.ly/14niOyy  




True News Said It Before the NYT
Reporters Who Read Questions And Do Not Understand or Listen to  Answers cannot Ask Probing Follow Ups
WNBC/WSJ reporters cut off candidates, only give 15 seconds to answer inportant issues, Poor follow up - David Ushery was over his head as a debate moderator.  Candidates spoke on talking points, were not challenged to explain their position. At the same time WNBC and the other TV stations are making millions on commercials.
Another Journalism Failure in the 2013 Election

  1. Utterly pathetic by NBC
    1. WSJ/WNBC doing voters a disservice by allowing ad hominem attacks on issues that were asked & answered. What issues were illuminated, David?
Thursday The Times Criticized the  Debate
The Times criticizes the format of the final televised mayoral debate, advising voters to make an informed decision by watching speeches given by the Democratic candidates on YouTube
Last Call in the Race for Mayor(NYT Ed)
 If you’re a New Yorker who is only now focusing seriously on the mayoral primary election, just five days away, you might feel bad about missing the Democrats’ final televised debate on Tuesday night.
Don’t. You wouldn’t have learned much, unless what you wanted to know about the candidates involves trivia and how well they bicker. In 90 minutes (that felt longer), we learned who doesn’t compost, who cleans up after his housekeeper, how much money everybody makes and how they feel about supposed character flaws, like grandstanding (John Liu), shouting (Christine Quinn), indecision (Bill de Blasio) or lack of belly fire (William Thompson Jr.). The format was awkward, the crosstalk irritating and the questioning often hostile and fatuous. Anthony Weiner did viewers a favor by openly mocking the dumber questions and defending some of his rivals from shallow criticism. He did well for himself, though, at this point, he is more commentator than contender. If you really want to be informed in making a decision on Tuesday, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Ratings for the Debate
Looks like rating for the WNBC debate last night were around 225,000, about half that of WABC debate a few weeks ago.

One More Debate With Weiner As Moderator?
"seemed to rise above the squabbling, playing referee or debate coach."(WSJ)
"This is a value question — you don’t change your values." — Anthony Weiner

Anthony Weiner Best Answer of the Debate on the Member Item Council Slush Fund
"All my opponents should take the blame for the member item slush fund. Two were comptroller who should exposed the illegal practice. The Speaker ran member items and  de Blasio took member items when he was a councilman."  But the former councilmen left out he took member item slush fund money from Vallone?


Pollsters are not taking into account the pulling operations of the local candidates -samples wrong
Most reporters  can only read what is put in front of  them, that is why polls are given so must creditability.  It seems unlikely that will get 0% in Queens, as the NYT/Siena poll suggests  Quinnipaic kept changing its calculation about who will be voting in the Democratic primary. [Azi Paybarah] * NY1 host Errol Louis penned a Daily News op-ed urging voters–and the media–to relax a little bit about the public polls, which should be taken with “buckets of salt.” Citing general elections, which are usually even easier to poll than volatile primaries, Steve Greenberg actually went on Mr. Louis’s Road to City Hall show last night to talk about the race. “We don’t think we’re in a position to know exactly who’s going to come out and vote next Tuesday,” Mr. Greenberg said, explaining why his firm doesn’t define the electorate’s demographic makeup and re-weight their results to match. * State Senator RubĆ©n DĆ­az was also a poll critic yesterday, declaring, “This latest Quinnipiac poll shows that NO Hispanic and NO Asian has been counted.” Citing the battle for civil rights, Mr. DĆ­az lamented, “This is a complete disgrace. There are no pickets, no demonstrations, nothing.” In fact, both Hispanics and Asians were counted in Quinnipiac’s latest survey. Mr. Louis notes that “major organizations have an atrocious record when it comes to reflecting voter sentiment.” * Siena College pollster
 

Brooklyn's Huey Long, Vito Lopez Uses Government Funds to Run His Social Services Machine 
In 1993 the NY Times wrote About the Lopez Machine That Expected to Elect Him to the City Council Next Tuesday
Bushwick Non Profit is Lopez' Chicken Pot
Growth of a New-Age Political Machine
"The organization, the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, employs 1,400 people through more than 50 grants budgeted at more than $33 million annually. Yet at the same time many of those taxpayer dollars -- allocated for pressing human needs -- have been put to work for private, political purposes as well. They have paid for an agglomeration of power that has stunted the neighborhood's political diversity, rewarded a handful of Mr. Lopez's proteges with well-paying jobs, enriched politically connected contractors and produced programs that in several instances have been criticized for accounting and performance. Like the social-service groups connected to Representative Floyd H. Flake in Queens, Assemblyman Albert Vann in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Pedro Espada in the Soundview section of the Bronx, the Ridgewood Bushwick council has managed to fill the vacuum left by the dimming influence of county political bosses and the decade-long decline in Federal anti-poverty money." 

Yesterday True News Focused On Lopez Spitzer Teams Checkered Backgrounds . . . The NYP Does the Same

A criminal investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed subordinates did not deter him. Nor did civil suits accusing him of groping and other unwanted intimacies. Nor censure by the State Assembly, nor the clamor of fellow Democrats that forced him to resign as the party’s chairman in Brooklyn and step down from the Legislature.  he former assemblyman, Vito J. Lopez, is running again, this time for City Council, and despite the lingering scandal, he has at least a fair chance of winning. Security guards at a 2,700-unit co-op complex that Lopez helped develop won’t let campaign workers for City Council candidates challenging him knock on doors, just one of the “tricks” Lopez is accused of pulling,





Today the NYP Agrees Political Thugs Are Running Campaigns
The Post rips New York City comptroller candidate Eliot Spitzer for discussing the “great things” he accomplished with embattled ex-assemblyman Vito Lopez, as well as soliciting help from former pols Clarence Norman and Naomi Rivera:
Lopez and Spitzer: Partners in slime(NYP Ed) Eliot. Speaking to Politico, Spitzer talked about the “great things” the two did together on housing before each was brought down by his own sex scandal. Spitzer is also reported to be getting help from former Brooklyn Democratic Chairman Clarence Norman, who actually did something Spitzer hasn’t: serve time in prison, in his case for political corruption. In addition, former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, who’s under investigation for steering state grants to her boyfriends, is a paid consultant.

Machiavellian move that could only be engineered by Vito Lopez
Sleaze & thank you, El backers (NYP) Shunned by the Democratic establishment, Eliot Spitzer has reached out to officials with checkered backgrounds to support his run for city comptroller — including two longtime allies of disgraced ex-Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

State Sen. Martin Dilan and his son, City Councilman Erik Dilan, who have been tied to Lopez for years, are among the handful of elected officials backing Spitzer over Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.  “The Dilans are very loyal to Vito. From everything we know, . . . behind the scenes, they’re doing everything they can to help Vito,” said one political operative.

The Bronx and Carl Andrews Machine for Spitzer
Something Tells Me That Spitzer Will Do Very Good in the Bronx  Former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, who was investigated for putting one boyfriend on a government payroll and another at a nonprofit, is a paid Spitzer campaign consultant.* \Spitzer getting help from lobbyist with shady connections - NYPOST ...

Lesser of 2 sleazes?
At last, the secret of Eliot Spitzer’s success! A poll found some voters open to a Spitzer comeback because Anthony Weiner embarrasses them more than Client No. 9 does. Sleaze is relative.



 Final Comptroller Debate and Latest Poll "Dead Heat"
Spitzer and Stringer Pull No Punches at Final Debate as Election Day Nears(NYO)
Final Face-Off in Comptroller Race; Poll Says It’s Tight(NYT)
A source reports hearing negative ads from the Spitzer campaign on radio, saying Stringer "decided to overturn" term limits * . camp fires back at for calling latest ad "negative"; they're "pointing out the facts of 's record"
* Eliot Spitzer launches a TV attack ad against Stringer:(Video)
    1. Interesting: Persons unknown have been push-polling a non-existent


Spitzer, Stringer Almost Tied in NYC Comptroller Poll
Stringer led Spitzer 47 percent to 45 percent in the survey of likely voters released today, similar to an Aug. 29 Quinnipiac finding that had them tied at 46 percent. * NYC Controller Is No Downballot Race, According To 2013 Lever Voting Machines Setup | New York Daily News * Stringer Insists He'll Be Independent Watchdog If Elected Comptroller (NY1)
NYC Controller Is No Downballot Race, According To 2013 Lever Voting Machines Setup(NYDN) * Eliot Spitzer launched a negative attack ad on the radio criticizing Scott Stringer, his opponent in the comptroller’s race, for opposing term limits. Replied the Stringer camp in a statement: “Eliot Spitzer’s decision to launch the first negative attack ad of this campaign is a desperate attempt to mislead voters by a flailing candidate.”* Spitzer has a radio ad attacking Scott Stringer for supporting the term limits extension. [TV Eyes] * El Diario endorsed Scott Stringer for NYC comptroller, saying Eliot Spitzer lacks the “essential” skill of bringing people to the table and working with them.

The Negative Hits Against Spitzer Has Not Stop His Team From Running the Best Campaign This Year

Eliot Spitzer hits Scott Stringer with negative ad on term limits. Says he cut a "back room" deal to extend term limits.
 




Does Thompson  and Spitzer Hiding A Clarance Norman Offshore Consulting Firms?
Spitzer & Thompson spend big on mysterious consultancy with ties to Clarence Norman(NYState Politics)
couple of consulting firms that have been big recipients of Eliot Spitzer’s money. They include MNH Consulting and Time for Change Consulting, both of Brooklyn and both of which appear to have been hastily set up for this year’s election cycle. After the post, sources told us ( meaning me and our own Liz Benjamin ) that Spitzer is not the only one making payments to Time for Change…and lo and behold they were right. Democratic Mayoral Candidate Bill Thompson also dropped some cash. Two payments totaling $105,000. ( Yowzah! ). For obvious reasons this consulting firm appears to have been created in a way that makes it difficult to find that out. When the Spitzer campaign was asked about the Norman connection, I was told “Not that we know of.” The Brooklyn address listed for the company on Lorimer Street lists the the property to Pedro Herrera ( whoever that is ). A second set of payments went to Time for Change Consulting, also of Brooklyn, for $70,000. Like MNH, this “consulting firm” also appears to have no website, and very little information available about who is ( or are ) the proud owner(s).

Is a non-endorsement effectively an endorsement?  Blow to Thompson

2009 and 2013 Sharpton Dumps on Thompson Again
Rev. Al Sharpton snubs old pal Bill Thompson(NYP)
Sharpton said it was possible he might not endorse in the New York City mayoral race, saying his backing will be based on “issues, not familiarity”, a potential setback for Democrat Bill Thompson, the only black candidate in the race 
Sharpton may not endorse mayoral candidate before primary(NYP) "may not endorse mayoral candidate before primary"

Who is Bill Thompson? - A Campaign Failure to Define Him

Mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson still struggling to define himself to voters(NYDN)
. jokes (?) he'd love to anchor a morning show if he doesn't win.
UFT PAC Releases First Pro-Thompson TV Ad
*The Ad Campaign: Daughter Helps Present Thompson as the Education Candidate(NYT)
 
Lots of History Between de Blasio and  the Cuomo Family
Andrew Cuomo declined to offer an opinion on Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for universal preschool, saying he’s going to “stay out” of the mayoral race, The Wall Street Journal writes: 
* Cuomo Stays Far From Mayoral Race(WSJ)
Cuomo didn’t rule out a late endorsement in the comptroller contest



  1. Cuomo said he won't endorse in the mayoral primary b/c he does not vote in NYC—yet he's endorsing in Buffalo today


    Debating Where to Place Blame for 911 Problems in New York(NYT)
    Unions for emergency workers say a $2 billion overhaul of the computer network is at fault for recent problems, but the Bloomberg administration says the issues are mostly unrelated to the upgrades.

Powell Why Single Out A Woman's Anger
The Times’ Michael Powell questions why Christine Quinn’s temperament has become a perceived detriment to her mayoral campaign, noting the gruff personalities of past mayors
"I wanted to throw my shoe at the television and ask (loudly, of course): Good God, a New Yorker with a temper? Knock me over with a feather." — Michael Powell


El Diario La Prensa endorses Julie Menin for Manhattan Borough President, citing her leadership on hot-button issues such as the mosque at Ground Zero, and her successful stint as head of Community Board 1: http://bit.ly/14ma0Jf


VIDEO: To save our neighborhoods, we need a Mayor who won't owe favors to every developer in town! My latest web ad:









 Staying safe in this part of town is no walk in the park . . .  Six-Figure Hot Dog
Oasis of fear: Crime spiking in Central Park(NYP)
Felony crimes — including rape and burglary — are up more than 10 percent year-to-date through Sunday in Central Park, according to NYPD statistics.
The Six-Figure Price Tag for Selling a $2 Hot Dog(NYT)
Vendors who want to sell drinks and snacks in city parks bid hundreds of thousands in annual fees for the privilege — particularly in Central Park.

Are NYers Going To Accept A Message to Stay the Course Or Will the Change Message Elect Next Mayor?
With the decline of Christine Quinn's campaign, Bloomberg could turn to Joe Lhota. [Michael Goodwin]
A-Team can carry Lhota(Goodwin, NYP)
Their ad writes itself: “Over the last 20 years, our administrations have made New York safer and more prosperous. We don’t agree on everything, but we believe Joe has the best experience and plans to keep the city moving in the right direction. He knows how government works, and shares our commitment to public safety, more jobs and a budget that is fair to both taxpayers and workers.” Seeing the former mayors together on television and in campaign mailers could shock the political system. It would make discouraged voters realize they have a real choice in the general election. Especially against the surging de Blasio, the most far left of the Dems, Lhota’s centrist positions on crime, spending and taxes would be all the more appealing. *  Lhota Takes the plate(NYP) Can he make NYC see sense? * De Blasio’s proposals have not been vetted because his late rise in the polls allowed him to get by on slogans, but he has offered a clear narrative that the race lacked making him the favorite to win, the Daily News’ writes * New Yorkers approve of Bloomberg, but city needs a change: Poll

If de Blasio wins the Democratic primary it will give Republicans an opening in the race for mayor, but only if they get off the “ridiculous debate over cats on subway tracks” and draw sharp contrasts on crime and taxes
New Yorkers haven’t voted for a liberal Democratic mayor in nearly a quarter century. But if yesterday’s Quinnipiac poll is any clue, that may change this year. A large swath of the Democratic Party apparently favors rejecting the Bloomberg record in favor of a more left-wing direction.* "Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has made huge progress in the polls with his disingenuous Tale of Two Cities pitch"(AMNY)

This is a paragraph from a story on wealthy New Yorkers protesting Bill de Blasio‘s tax plan: “E.E. ‘Buzzy’ Geduld, who runs the hedge fund Cougar Capital LLC in the city and is a trustee of Manhattan’s Dalton School, where annual tuition tops $40,000, said de Blasio’s plan ‘is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard” and “not a smart thing to do.’”
* Wall Street Isn't Shaping the New York Mayoral Race. Thank Public Financing (New Republic)



PAC Backed by Billionaire to Broadcast Ads for Lhota(NYT)
The political action committee supported by the industrialist David H. Koch will broadcast television commercials this week promoting Joseph J. Lhota, a Republican candidate for mayor. A Political action committee called New Yorkers for Proven Leadership will start running television ads supporting Republican Joe Lhota’s bid for mayor this week*
And Mr. Lhota took issue with Mr. Catsimatidis describing him as a non-“people person.”*
Catsimatidis Hits Airwaves With Pataki Ad(YNN)
Catsimatidis Attacks Lhota's Support Of Legalizing Marijuana (NY1)

McDonald Out of the Debate
Republican mayoral candidate George McDonald, excluded from the final debate because of his low fundraising, questioned why his rival John Catsimatidis is allowed to participate when he is paying for his campaign using loans to himself, The New York Times writes:



Full-page NY Post ad from Cats claims Lhota wants to "CREATE MORE POT HEADS"“John thinks I’m not cuddly and huggable, or whatever–he’s very, very wrong,” Mr. Lhota said yesterday. He jokingly added, “Everybody I’ve ever been with says I’m cuddly and huggable.”





Mr. Bloomberg and ‘the Ideologues’(NYT)


The mayor is using the shooting of a young Brooklyn boy to level baseless charges against critics of his unconstitutional policing tactics.  Bloomberg has seized on the shooting of a 16-month-old in Brownsville to launch “baseless” attacks at critics of stop-question-and-frisk, undercutting his credibility* Mayor Sues to Overturn Profiling Law(WSJ) * Bloomberg keeps his promise: Mayor sues City Council to overturn law targeting stop-and-frisk profiling(NYDN) * City lawyers filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mayor Bloomberg, challenging the NYC Council’s so-called racial-profiling law and saying lawmakers overstepped their authority by enacting it into law over the mayor’s veto.* The state Legislature counts at least 20 millionaires among its members, according to a new report from good-government groups.
"Proactive policing has given way to reactive policing," one officer told WSJ.
John Liu’s “secret weapon”
 Trailside: Liu Unveils Secret Weapon: His Smiling Wife (NYT)
Liu’s wife, Jenny, made a rare appearance on the campaign trail yesterday, shaking hands and greeting voters at a senior center in Lower Manhattan, urging them to vote for her husband in next week’s primary election,
Liu Opposes New  Taxi
Liu rejected the contract for the city’s Taxi of Tomorrow for a second time, striking a largely symbolic blow against a signature initiative of the Bloomberg administration just weeks before the cabs will begin hitting the streets.


Real Estate Tried to Take Over the City Council

Jobs For New York's Funding In City Council Races Raises Alarm Among Critics (NY1)
Jobs for New York is sending mostly negative mail, is being sued for libel by one candidate, and is funded mostly by real estate companies exploiting a loophole in campaign finance law. [Bobby Cuza]

Thompson and Quinn Try to Save Runoff By Calling de Blasio Flip-Flopper
A day after pummeling each other in the final debate, the Democratic mayoral candidates continued their attacks against each other on the campaign trail, with several running new advertisements in advance of Tuesday’s primary, the Daily News writes: 
Double Billing (NYDN Ed)
Front-runner de Blasio is tripping on his flip-flops
A look back at politicking & devpt in Brooklyn from - De Blasio’s Atlantic Yards Support Helped Old Ally
* The Ad Campaign: Quinn Takes Aim at de Blasio
* Christine Quinn releases her first attack ad of the election season. Team de Blasio calls it misleading/desperate.(WSJ)
* STREET FIGHT TO THE FINISH: Democratic mayoral candidates take campaigns to the streets in the final days before Tuesday's primary
The three leading Democratic candidates in next Tuesday’s primary for mayor all say they would back efforts to organize private-sector workers into labor unions, a stance that would be a break from the hands-off approach Mayor Bloomberg has taken in such battles.
Bill de Blasio's trajectory is like Deval Patrick's. [Josh Benson and Steve Kornacki]
Quinn's Camp Tries to 'Keep Calm and Carry On' As Her Poll Numbers Fall via * 2BJ SEIU has launched a Latino-focued GOTV effort for Quinn. 




Public Advocate Bill de Blasio was attacked by all his rivals as a flip-flopper on term limits and higher wages for workers during their final debate, which frequently descended into a free for all (WSJ)  Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former comptroller Bill Thompson needed to damage Democratic frontrunner Bill de Blasio in last night’s debate and came close, but in the end they failed, the Daily News’ Mike Lupica writes: 
Dem foes blast away at de Blas(NYP)
EVA MOSKOWITZ: Bill de Blasio’s war on good schools(NYP) *  De Blasio’s rivals accused him of being inconsistent term limits and the distribution of member items. Some said the centerpiece of his campaign – a plan to raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for pre-K and after-school programs – is dishonest because it is unlikely to pass in Albany.*  What the Campaign's Focus on Inequality Means for New York(City Limits)

Bill De Blasio Gets Crowds On The Campaign Trail(NYDN)
Reviewing The Mayoral Candidates' Economic Plans(NYT)
Dems blast mayoral front-runner Bill de Blasio’s flip-flopping(NYP)
New web ad:









Quinn is Ready for Her Close Up Mr Demille
Quinn Goes Negative Against de Blasio in New Ad(NYO)
Update: de Blasio camp slams Quinn's "desperate attack from a candidate in a panicked free-fall" 
Quinn losing ground in NYC mayor’s race: polls(Wash Blade)
In a season of anti-Bloombergism, none of the top 7 mayoral candidates have sought his endorsement. read this then, Flashback, 2011: "Mayor Making It No Secret: He’ll Endorse Quinn in 2013"
Quinn, heir apparent to Bloomy, now says this when asked if endorsement helps or hurts: "It's a complicated question" 
The Ad Campaign: Quinn Takes Aim at de Blasio (NYT)
 

This de Blasio Endorsement Will Help New Yorkers Avoid the Runoff
The Satmar leadership from NYC (both Boro Park & Williamsburg) have voted to officially endorse as the next Mayor of NYC
1199's hidden operation for de Blasio

The Anti de Blasio Campaign Begins
Run Offs
Possible runoffs highlight need for instant runoff voting. Separate runoffs draw very few voters & disenfranchise absentee voters.

With Little Time Left, Mayoral Candidates Pounce on de Blasio(NYT)  Rivals hammered Bill de Blasio, depicting him as a panderer to the real estate industry, a flip-flopper and a naĆÆve dreamer whose plans would wilt in the face of reality.\ Detours and Divisions, but Few Wild Exaggerations in Mayoral Debate(NYT) Parrying at the Top, and Lunging Below(NYT)Most of the heat and animation in the final debate among the candidates in the Democratic mayoral primary came from the two rivals competing for rock bottom.  The NYT's TV critic watched the debate -- her take: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern 
 did almost all the talking:

amNewYork endorsed Bill Thompson and Joe Lhota in their respective primaries for mayor. The paper called particular attention to Mr. de Blasio’s “sham” tax proposal, which has allowed him to make “huge progress in the polls with his disingenuous Tale of Two Cities pitch” and become “the latest national avatar of the populist left.”* Democrats Square Off in Mayoral Debate(WSJ)
De Blasio put on defensive by Quinn, Thompson in New York mayoral debate(NYDN)
Voters Eyeing De Blasio, With Some Doubts (City and State)
Very interesting Q & A: on black support:
Christine Quinn Won't Let Up On Rival Bill de Blasio's Cash Infusions | NY Daily News
Bill De Blasio Gets Crowds On The Campaign Trail | New York Daily News


There Are No Words
Anthony Weiner Does the Weather(NYO)









Former Rep. Anthony Weiner's dispute with a New Yorker makes national news. Today show features video of the yelling match this morning
Anthony Weiner Explodes at ‘Jackass’ Voter in Brooklyn(NYO)  After an Orthodox Jewish man called Mr. Weiner a “scumbag” as he was leaving a Boro Park bakery, the mayoral hopeful furiously spun around to confront the voter.





Final Mayoral Debate
 Dumb first question Tell us about when you struggled economically? Financially, "This isn't about me -- I'm going to be fine," Anthony Weiner says at debate before quickly seguing to his childhood. John Liu pivots question to just attacking the debate format. Fightin' the man! . takes the middle-class question as an opportunity to criticize debate format for leaving out & Erick Salgado . - his grandparents who arrived here in 1917 worked several jobs to make ends meeting. If WNBC thinks its 90-min debate is so important, why is it pulling the plug after 60 mins? For 'Hollywood Game Night' at 8 pm?

. trying to keep candidates in line. "you do the questions; we do the answers." * WATCH the candidates refuse to answer this union contracts question back in May: * Today's editoral asks candidates: "What services will you cut? What taxes will you raise?" * . reminds candidates not to talk about when they answer the question about retroactive raises.* Everything has to be on the table, says, but contract must have raises we can afford.

* Asked whether they plan to offer city workers retroactive wages, says, "You don't negotiate in the media." * Quinn on contracts "They haven't had raises in 5 yrs. Do they deserve raises? Yes." shares de Blasio's position:don't negotiate in campaign*  Thompson, asked about his union support, including the UFT, says he's not saying anything privately he hasn't said in public. Thompson: "The things I say I public are the things I say in private." On raises, says he will bring dollars back in outsourced contracts. Says what he says in public is what he tells unions Weiner, who often says Dems didn't deserve to win City Hall in last 20 yrs, says R's won't win b/c they're "demagoguing" on retro raises,

Thompson: "they do deserve raises." Union members may be disappointed next year, because the math is the math ...How would policies help low-income low-scoring schools like PS 132Bx? says DOE imposes too many requirements on schools * .: "I stood with the mayor on that," defending decision to raise property taxes after 9/11. * W/o offering clear position, Thompson instead goes after BDB, Quinn and Liu for going in favor of 18% increase of property tax in 2003. * Bill de Blasio makes his move in pointing out that he currently has a son in public school. Early childhood ed is the answer, he says. * . says he turned around failing schools as BOE president. *
I agree - this is by far the WORST debate - interrupting them and being really nasty. *  

. getting asked about how he'd get Albany to approve his tax-the-rich plan for Universal Pre-K; he says past is prologue. * First attack from on "we can't *Weiner & Liu both speak out of turn. This debate is kind of a shit-show, no? * BdB: "It's clear that we have a racial achievement gap in this city that's reasserting itself." Says people will demand early childhood. * Weiner: Include invalid stops in CompStat data and give cops lapel cameras. 15 second answers only. * . asked if he's been consistent on . “I understand it; I feel it. No one has to lecture me about being consistent”  What a dumb question: Will you run for a second term if crime goes up?  Thompson has best stop-and-frisk answer -- least demagogic and acknowledging that we don't want shot babies. * . on receiving $ from slumlord: Says he's gotten landlords to make repairs. If they contribute after that's fine. RT : Is there a God, and if so why does he allow suffering? You have four seconds. Weiner now taking the above-it-all stance: Telling Quinn & Thompson that their attacks on de Blasio don't make sense. * Weiner says de Blasio has been a champion fighting against slumlords, but sucks on term limits.   

* Bill de Blasio is taking heat from all directions, and says he's being attacked unfairly here at debate. * Quinn, asked if she ever used member item $ as political leverage: "No." de Blasio says Vallone and Crowley say, clearly, otherwise. * Quinn sys she noticed she inherited slush fund in '08 but she had been Spkr since '06. * Weiner the answer of the night 2 comptrollers and a speaker and councilman that got funds * Anthony Weiner jumps in, saying de Blasio, Quinn and the two controllers (Thompson, Liu) were all supposed to be watching the store.* You have lost credibility among New Yorkers...how could you govern effectively, Mr. Weiner?" * To Weiner: How could you govern effectively if nobody takes you seriously? "I'm an imperfect messenger for the best ideas in this campaign." * The "I'm persecuted" spiel is serving neither Liu nor Weiner well. * . says never bothered off ering reforms to member items when he was in Council; he said it wasn't a problem then. * "clear me or charge me" says other candidates won't say if he was set up, sayshe should hv gotten his public $ * Why is it always left to the Latino panelist to ask the immigration question? Isn't it time to stop this journalistic ghetto-izing? * 25s

have pie in the sky promises" calls his pre-k plan "dead on arrival"
East River tolls -- All portraits in courage opposed * de Blasio would take away subsidies from big real estate ... but he did support Atlantic Yards with big juicy subsidies * Question: how much do the candidates earn? Roundabout: Thompson $700,000. de Blasio $165,000. Quinn $180,000. Liu $185,000. Weiner $500,000 * Christine Quinn complains about rents ? Under Bloomberg-Quinn, we lost 300,000 affordable housing units. * Weiner picks healthcare as his big fix; Thompson goes for improving schoools. * Quinn tries to claim sick days as her accomplishment, which makes sense if you've been deaf and blind last 2 years * Quinn goes "right back at ya" to BdB in the cross-exam. She returns to the Daily News story on his raising money from slumlord-listers. * Quinn goes "right back at ya" to BdB in the cross-exam. She returns to the Daily News story on his raising money from slumlord-listers. * John Liu puts his question to Bill de Blasio, asking where he was on living wage legislation.* As de Blasio and Quinn spar over the slumlord list, John Liu jumps in with an attack on real-estate money in campaign finance.

* Weiner is doing a lot to aid Quinn's opponents. If he really wanted to help her, he'd drop out... his supporters would go to BdB, Thompson. * John Liu on investigations of his fundraising: "I understand: If you go after powerful interests, they're going to come after you." * Weiner: Quinn gave money from slush fund. De Blasio took it. Two controllers did nothing to stop it. "This is the problem." * Thompson, previewing his attack against de Blasio if there's a runoff, says we need a "leader, not a cheerleader." * SEE?! Bravo Mr. Weiner. Bravo. You're right: you're among amateurs sir, amateurs. * Christine Quinn is rationalizing the soundproofing of her office.* Bill de Blasio says the real estate industry is "working overtime" to elect Quinn or Thompson, stop him from being elected.* Weiner is good at debates and good on the stump. He had a message. He got in his own way. * Bill Thompson: "I stood. up to Mike Bloomberg" then I went intonthe private sector for $700k
* Checking the Facts at the Democratic Mayoral Debate(NYT)
What You Missed in the Final Democratic Mayoral Debate (NY Mag)




Breaking Poll
The once unthinkable now possible -- crowning a Democratic nominee without a runoff
  13s
NYC -Poll Finds De Blasio Surges Past 40% In NYC Mayoral Race; Quinn, Thompson Battle For Runoff Spot-If There Is One
With 47 percent of black voters and 44 percent of women voters, New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio surges to 43 percent of likely voters in the Democratic primary for mayor, passing the 40 percent cutoff and possibly avoiding a runoff, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. 's Mickey Carroll says is at 48% to 's 24% among likely voters * De Blasio Could Avoid Democratic Runoff, New Poll Suggests(NYT)

de Blasio Ahead in the Black and  Women's Vote
Former City Comptroller and 2009 Democratic nominee William Thompson is at 20 percent, with 18 percent for City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, 7 percent for former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, 4 percent for Comptroller John Liu, 1 percent for former Council member Sal Albanese and 8 percent undecided.  hitting 43 in new * That's almost two-thirds. RT : In a run-off, de Blasio defeats Quinn 66 to 25. Team Thompson strongly believes polls like Q that show him losing blacks are wrong. What they're doing to win them:  * De Blasio, bolstered by black and female voters, leaves top rivals Bill Thompson and Christine Quinn in the dust at 20% and 18%, respectively. If there is a two-person showdown, Quinnipiac finds, it's curtains for either Thompson or Quinn, who fall to de Blasio by 56% - 36% and 66% - 25% respectively.De Blasio wins the support of 44% of women likely to vote in the Democratic primary, Tuesday's Q Poll  finds, compared to 19% who like Thompson and 18% who pick Quinn.

How the Money Was Spent in the Brooklyn DA Race
The reports show the bulk of Thompson's expenses went to research, public opinion and campaign consulting. For example, the Thompson campaign spent about $245,000 for the services of Red Horse Strategies, which handles campaign management and organizing. The campaign also paid nearly $34,000 to Anzalone Liszt Research, a public opinion research firm specializing in "message development and strategic consulting," according to its website.  Likewise, the Hynes campaign also directed funds to consultants and to efforts to reach voters. For instance, it paid strategic consulting firm, The Advance Group, more than $145,000 in the last reporting period.

Last-minute money floods mayoral campaigns(NY World)
New donors include Wall Street giant Maurice Greenberg and civil-service unions
Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota received $10,950 in donations larger than $1,000 this week, including one donation from Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, the former chairman and CEO of AIG, who donated, $4,950, the maximum amount allowed under the city’s campaign finance laws.  The day after the poll’s release, de Blasio’s campaign committee took in at least $29,775 in donations from 13 contributors. The Board of Elections requires campaigns to report donations of more than $1,000 within 24 hours, if they’re made in the 10 days leading prior to a race. Two wealthy candidates self-funding their campaigns, also wrote themselves large last-minute checks. Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis gave his campaign committee $1 million last week. And in the comptroller’s race, Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer donated $1.2 million of his own money to his fiercely-fought race against Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

‘Shadow campaigns’ undemining city’s election-finance laws(Brooklyn Daily)
"Shadow campaign": Jobs for New York, a super PAC backed by real estate interests, has spent $120,000 in support of Assemblyman Alan Maisel's primary race for City Council — and amount even Maisel calls "obscene."







Nobody Wants To Look At  the Pension Funds Steve Rattner Got From Thompson & What It Means

Power  Protection
One vein of the pension corruption scandal that the NYT did not include in their investigation of the connection between Comptroller Bill Thompson handing out pension contracts and receiving campaign contributions is someone  very close to the NYT, Steve Rattner.  Times' own publisher Arthur Sulzberger is a close personal friend and receives financial advising from Rattner.  Rattner was an advisor who helps build the new NYT HQ, known as the pink elephant, that almost bankrupted the paper.  Rattner who even after paying a $10 million dollar fine for his handling of pension funds with recently freed Hank Morris, still writes for the NYT and is a regular on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, received $115 million from the NYC pension fund.    

The firm Rattner used to invest pension funds was called the Quadrangle Group.  Placement agent Morris help Ratter got pension funds from Thompson NYC pension fund, Hevesi‘s NYS pension fund and pension funds in two  other states.   Hevesi, Morris and others from the two other pension funds when to jail, Rattner used his connections to limit his liability to a $10 million dollar fine and a suspension from future pension trading for 5 years.  What seem incomplete from the Rattner fine agreement was that it only involved the NYS pension fund.   Nothing was said about the $115 million Quadrangle got from Thompson’s NYC pension fund.  There were a lot of interesting things going on with the city’s pension funds at that time which should have attractive investigators attention.    

The NYT Reported in 2009 that it was under former top Thompson aide Josh Wolf-Powers’ advisement that Steven Rattner’s private investment firm Quadrangle Group hired the now-indicted Hank Morris as its placement agent.”  Rattner admitted to paying Mr. Morris $1.1 million as it sought business with the pension fund.  He pleaded the 5th when questioned by investigators about the pension scandal.  Wolf-Powers who served as First Deputy to Thompson rewrote the rules in the Comptroller’s office to ease restrictions on private money managers gaining access to the City’s retirement funds.  In 2005 Wolf-Powers left the comptroller office and formed Blue Wolf Capital. 

His company soon received $60 million from the City’s pension funds to invest, yielding Blue Wolf $500,000 in fees. Subsequently, Wolf-Powers donated the maximum amount of $10,000 to Thompson’s, while Blumenthal gave $4,050 and Blue Wolf Management as a corporate entity donated $4,950. Among Blue Wolf’s other top players are its operating partner Joshua Gotbaum, whose step-mother former New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum was a trustee of New York City’s Pension Funds.  Betsy Gotbaum is not a political consultant for the Thompson mayoral campaign.  If Thompson wins the Democratic Primary much more of how he handed the city pensions will come out. * The Dangers of Elected Pension Managers


Silver Hires A $hark
The Silver letter states that by law commissions governors create under the state Moreland Act can only look into and recommend improvements at executive agencies, boards and commissions — not the Legislature.

Tuesday Update 
The law firm representing Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver during the Moreland Commission’s anti-corruption probe has made major campaign donations to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as well as commission co-chairwoman Kathleen Rice
Cuomo donor Kasowitz repped New York Assembly in Cuomo-led corruption probe

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver hired Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP to represent the chamber during an investigation (NYDN) by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s anti-corruption commission. The law firm and its top partner have donated $275,000 to the governor since 2010. * "Nothing ever happens in Albany by accident." 
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his pals lawyer up(NYDN) The state Senate may also be hiring outside counsel to deal with the governor-appointed commission to fight overreaching and potential political witch hunts.Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver late last week sent his colleagues a letter about the hiring of Kasowtiz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, in part to fight overreaching by the commission and potential political witch hunts. After lawmakers ignored Cuomo’s call for ethics reforms following a spate of scandals earlier this year, the governor worked with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to create the commission. Schneiderman gave the body more leeway to probe corruption at all levels of government by deputizing the 25 members.

Albabny Lawmakers Rake In  Outside Income
Official salary small piece of state lawmakers’ finances(NY World) Members of state Senate and Assembly earned almost as much outside the Legislature as in it, New York state lawmakers’ official salary is $79,500, for a part-time job. But including all other sources of income, New York’s lawmakers together with their spouses earned, on average, between $178,140 and $237,941 in 2012, according to an analysis by the New York Public Interest Research Group and Common Cause–New York. The lawmakers themselves earned, on average, more than $63,000 from sources outside the legislature last year. * Here's the full NYPIRG/Common Cause report on the Legislature's wealth. Worth a read


Is the NYT Having A Nervous Breakdown Today They Attack Quinn Over Term Limits, Tuesday They Go After All the Candidates For Taking Cash From the Real Estate Industry, While Attacking Developers
Exposing Real Estate $$$ Control over Politics in NYC

In Mayoral Race, Attacking Real Estate Industry but Taking Its Cash(NYT)
In the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, a new set of political dirty words have surpassed the usual favorites, like “lobbyist” and “flip-flop,” that are traditionally used to spritz opponents and adversaries with a film of slime.  These new dirty words are “real estate,” “developers” and “condos” — printable, and yet filthy with disdain. But, conveniently, they have not stopped any of the major campaigns from accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the real estate industry.


In mayor's race, "real estate" & "developers" are dirty words but candidates happily take their $$$
 Christine Quinn collected more money from the real estate industry than any other Democratic mayoral candidate. Christine C. Quinn collected at least $716,700 from these individuals, the analysis found, the most of all the Democratic mayoral candidates. Mr. Weiner was close behind, with $643,550. Next came William C. Thompson Jr., with $299,000; Mr. de Blasio with $215,300; and Mr. Liu with $141,800. On the Republican side, Joseph J. Lhota has raised at least $118,500 from the real estate industry. John A. Catsimatidis, who is mostly self-financing, has received $3,000, and George T. McDonald has raised just $1,465 from donors in real estate. doing multiple deep dives into data. Real estate $$: on IEs:  * Follow the Real Estate money and the Real Estate consultants and lobbyists
. Agree that candidates' lack of courage on NYC budget is staggering. See "NY needs a dose of reality" 

True News Wags the NYT: Real Estate Developers Class Warfare
 
August 18th - They fund the mayoral and council candidates; They rip off the tax payers for tax deductions from Albany and City Hall; The push out the middle class and cause gentrification in black and other minority and poor neighborhoods; Yet the powerful city's real estate developers have not become an issue in this years campaigns

I Guess the Group Think Journalist Just Like to Have People Tell Them How Great They Are
Michael Barbaro@mikiebarb

@unitedNYblogs Unfollowing you. You are too negative. Life is short. Consider this a lesson.
“I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.” ― Harry S. Truman

Suzannah B. Troy @suzannahbtroy

@unitedNYblogs @mikiebarb Orwellian hilarious and yet pathetic NY Putin-ville City posers really secretaries not journalist congrats Gary :)

At Tonight's Debate Attacks Will Fly At  Tall Bill
The Dem mayoral candidates share a stage for the last time tomorrow. The plan?
The Ad Campaign: De Blasio’s Message of 2 Cities, Again(NYT)
Democratic mayoral frontrunner Bill de Blasio will undoubtedly be the target of his opponents Christine Quinn and Bill Thompson in tonight’s final televised debate, at a time when voters are finally paying close attention, The Wall Street Journal writes: 
Listening to Bruce Springsteen is how Christine Quinn prepares for debates, while Bill Thompson spends quiet time relaxing and reading with his family and John Liu makes sure to visit senior centers, Politicker writes:


New York Today: Final Showdown(NYT)
Final Face-Off in Mayoral Debate(WSJ)
How the Candidates Are Getting Ready for Tonight’s Big Debate(NRO)




De Blasio Horse $ense


Switch shows deB’s horse $ense (NYP) Bill de Blasio has promised to banish carriage horses from Central Park “within the first week” if he become mayor — but when he was on the City Council and had a chance to sign on to similar legislation in 2007, he passed.   His change of heart made the public advocate a favorite of well-heeled animal-rights activists who have opened their wallets for him. Records show that Steve Nislick, who co-founded the animal-rights group NYCLASS, has ponied up the maximum $4,950 for de Blasio’s campaign. Two other NYCLASS pals, Wendy and John Neu, have chipped in $9,900. More importantly, the organization has spent $774,000 in ads against a key de Blasio Democratic rival, Christine Quinn.* "Forget Miley Cyrus. The de Blasio campaign has its own signature dance move"(NYT)
Mayoral Candidate de Blasio Attacks Co-Location of Charters

Flacks Don't Have Friends They Have Bosses Who Pay Them
Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson criticizes his friend Bill de Blasio's policies(NYDN)

Despite his friendship with Democratic mayoral hopeful Bill de Blasio, Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson has taken to Twitter and television to bash his vision for the city.

Jewish Leaders Urge Bill Thompson To Get Energized and "Shine Like A Light"
And here’s video of Bill Thompson facing a “tough Orthodox electorate” in Midwood: 
Bill Thompson Gets Some Blessings Before the Jewish New Year(NYO)
Thompson blasted the Bloomberg administration for 54 school co-location proposals that would take effect at least eight months after he leaves office, calling the move “incredibly arrogant,” Gotham Schools reports: http://bit.ly/1cD0ZLW
United for the Future: independent expenditures of $552,966 supporting Bill Thompson -
14m

  1. Sheinkopf now openly predicting defeat for Thompson "The campaign is run by morons"




Candidates Pander to the Poor for Votes
The Times’ Michael Powell notes that in an appeal for votes, many of the Democratic mayoral candidates have made issues related to low-income New Yorkers a top priority:

de Blasio Makes His Own Worse Landlord Contribution List
An analysis of de Blasio’s campaign donors found that he has received $54,000 in contributions from building owners and their relatives who have landed on the Worst Landlords list, which he launched in 2010 as public advocate, the Daily News reports:

NYT Calls It Budget Unpleasant, True News Called It the Tinker Bell Mayoral Campaign

Hot-button issue of settling the outstanding municipal contracts avoided by the mayoral candidates

NY Times Tuesday
The Storm on New York’s Horizon(NYT)
In the race to succeed Mayor Bloomberg, the campaigns seem to be avoiding any talk of unpleasant budgetary realities. One editorial page notes the city's $2 billion budget gap and expired union contracts and warns of an "apocalypse." City’s looming fiscal problems, including a $2 billion budget hole Bloomberg is leaving behind and $8 billion the unions are demanding. 



 True News in July By Limiting Their Coverage To Sex the Media Is Allowing Mayoral Candidates to Get Away With Not Offing Solutions to Rising Health Care and Pension Costs And Promising Programs and Services That There is No $ For. Expired union contracts are a huge issue but the Democratic mayoral candidates have not said much about what they'll do about them
The Tinker Bell Mayoral Campaign
New York is one of many cities warning municipal unions that if they cannot figure out a way to rein in health costs, the looming “Cadillac tax” in the Affordable Care Act could threaten raises and jobs, The New York Times writes: *  Mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn eyes big-money proposals (NYDN) Staten Island Ferry to midtown and iPads for every student are just part of candidates pricey plans. he leading mayoral candidate’s costly raft of proposals includes an $3 million-to-$6 million express ferry from Staten Island to midtown, a $60 million-to-$100 million plan to give every public school student an iPad and an up-to-$1 million-a-year proposal to subsidize tuition for bilingual students willing to work as translators for the city. * NYC spends $8 billion on pensions. That's more than police, fire and corrections combined.

In 1996 When John Lindsay Became Mayor He Faced A Transit Strike and Fights With the Unions

The city's next mayor will face the biggest contract talks with unions since New York's brush with bankruptcy in the 1970s, giving voters this fall a chance to shape the city's financial health for years to come.*
Mayor's race becomes front-page news in WSJ, with a smart take on labor mess facing Bloomy successor: * spent more than $1.5m on NYC elections so far, mostly for mayoral candidate

Fiscal Danger of Taxing the Rich 
In the Post, the Manhattan Institute’s Nicole Gelinas points out the “fiscal danger” in de Blasio’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for universal pre-school, citing the city’s current $24.6 billion education tab: 

Brooklyn, NY, district attorney’s backers cry ‘fowl’ over campaign ad(NYDN)

New York City Councilman David Greenfield said an online ad depicting longtime DA Charles Hynes as a chicken to be slaughtered before Yom Kippur implies Hynes’ challenger, Ken Thompson, wants to see Hynes killed in a ritual tradition, but a Thompson spokesman said the ad wasn’t ‘sanctioned.* Ken Thompson Asks Joe Hynes: How Come Your Opponents End Up Dead, Broke or Indicted?



Catsimatidis Campaigns With Heart, Tongue and Checkbook Unfettered(NYT) At campaign appearances, no one would ever guess that John A. Catsimatidis, a Republican, was the billionaire in the room, but he has run this year’s most idiosyncratic race for New York City mayor.* GOP voters high on Joe Lhota in NYC primary(AMNY) * In a front-page story, The New York Times profiled John Catsimatidis: “On the campaign trail, his appeals to voters can be seen as admirably personal, or alarmingly vague. To a school bus worker, who complained about job protections and called Mayor Bloomberg pathetic, Mr. Catsimatidis tugged open his suit jacket and pointed at his chest. ‘I’m tough, but I have a heart,’ he said.” Meanwhile, Mr. Catsimatidis is taking flak from Charles Moerdler, who is featured in a mailer accusing rival Joe Lhota of bullying a 77-year-old “Holocaust survivor.” “Whoever dreamed up this . . . has given a whole new meaning to the word sleaze,” Mr. Moerdler told the Daily News. “It was obviously designed to prejudice Jews and seniors.” The photo is also incorrect. * New TV ad from declares of , "He's no Rudy Giuliani."

Quinn's Beached Sailboat?
Christine Quinn Says ‘Wind Is Now at Our Back’ Despite Sagging Poll Numbers(NYO)* BuzzFeed dove into the Democratic side of the race, where Council Speaker Christine Quinn “is having a political near death-experience.” “You know, you don’t end up the first openly gay and woman speaker of the City Council ‘cause you’re the frontrunner,” Ms. Quinn contended. “I got that position — won it — as the underdog.”



The Lobbyists and  Consultants Behind the Queens BP List
Melinda Katz              

    Gorrge Arts                                   $40,000

    Global Strategies                            $ 50,000

    Connective Strategies                      $25,000

    Red Horse                                    $426, 000



Peter Vallone


Brown  Milller             $154,00

H & C Consulting   $9,000

Lin Consulting               $30,000

Mercury                        $37,000

On Demand Color            $6,000

Strategic Persuasions   $356,000

Jonathan Schenker          $18,000

Where is  Sheinkopf?
Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., one of the frontrunners in the race to be the next Queens borough president, is hiring two well-known New York City political consulting firms, Mercury Public Affairs and Sheinkopf Communications. (CrainsNY)


NYP Takes Another Shot At Possible Speaker Inez Dickens

The company she keeps(NYP Ed) Plainly, Inez Dickens has gotten the message: In New York politics, this is the Year of Second Chances. If Eliot Spitzer can run for comptroller even after a call-girl scandal and Anthony Weiner can run for mayor after tweeting photos of his private parts, isn’t there room for the 6-foot, 7-inch aide who nearly brought down the administration of then-Gov. David Paterson when he was arrested for domestic violence against his then-girlfriend? Councilwoman Dickens apparently thinks so. So she’s brought aboard David Johnson to help her as she faces a tough primary challenge from former Charlie Rangel staffer Vince Morgan.

The New York Post Has A Nightmare
New York nightmare(NYP) Conjuring a political worst-case  Meet the City Hall from hell: Mayor Bill de Blasio, Comptroller Eliot Spitzer, City Council Speaker Inez Dickens — and NYPD “Commissioner” Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin.  Many who are wary of a return to the crime-ridden, crumbling and alienated metropolis of the past fear one possibility or another — Spitzer in charge of the treasury! Cops afraid to do their jobs!

 


The Daily News makes its case for Stringer in the comptroller’s race, pointing out his opponent Eliot Spitzer’s spotty record as governor and “limited interest” in the nuts and bolts of the comptroller’s office as reasons to vote against him:


The Times: 's term limits reversal "was an act more of Self-Preservation than of favor-trading"
On a December day in 2007, Christine C. Quinn, the speaker of the City Council, called herself utterly immovable on the question of overturning New York’s term limits law.  The next 314 days turned an implacable opponent of tossing out the law into a primary architect of its dismantling. It is an about-face that haunts her still. What the NYT gives, the NYT takes away. Front page article explains why cravenly flipped on term limits. Bloomberg didn't ask Quinn, he told her, about term limits change - and by phone.* "Quinn did not object. Asked about her reply 2 the mayor, she said, 'I didn’t have much of one'”

NYT Blames QuinnNot Themselves For Extending Term Limits

Newspapers  Putting the Blamed on Term Limits Not Them For Quinn Poor Showing in the Polls All Three Papers Conspired To Push Extending Bloomberg to A Third Term Quinn's NYC mayoral rivals score on her push to give Bloomberg third term(NYDN) Once the overwhelming Democratic frontrunner, Christine Quinn nears the Sept. 10 primary for New York mayor struggling to reach the expected runoff. And no issue seems more responsible for hurting her than her decision to help Michael Bloomberg win a third term.* Quinn’s girl power (NYT) Give young women a leg up with girls-only tech high schools * Christine Quinn Term Limits Flip-Flop Chronology *

Christine Quinn and Michael Bloomberg File for Divorce(Video)

 

 

How Many Lawmakers Became Millionaires After They Were Elected?

Raking it in! Albany legislators average six-figure incomes despite official part-time pay under $80,000: study(NYDN)
The state Legislature counts at least 20 millionaires among its members, according to a new report from good-government groups.* The same report shows that members of the state Assembly and Senate took home between $178,140 and $237,941 in 2012 on average, thanks to outside income from investments and jobs with law firms and other businesses.


NYC Election Atlas 2013


The debate at the top of the ticket overshadowed NY1′s for the Upper East Side’s Council seat. “You’re sending out anonymous mailers using taxpayer funds while trying to claim you’re a good-government advocate,” Assemblyman Micah Kellner charged at rival Ben Kallos, referencing a Politicker story while declaring Mr. Kallos “a fraud.” Mr. Kallos replied simply: “I take ownership of it. I’m proud to have sent [it.]“

Upper West Side City Council contender Noah Gotbaum was busted for allegedly driving with a suspended license.

INTERACTIVE MAPS: A primer for Primary Day, The Daily News' guides to the 2013 races for New York City Council and all 5 Borough President Races(NYDN)