Dana Farrington filed this report from City Hall.
Impatience was contagious in City Hall today as three City Council committees heard from concerned parties about the World Trade Center Medical Working Groups second annual report, released in September. Of particular concern was a bill, currently stalled in the [...]
Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has convicted of two counts of felony corruption charges. Both counts relate to his dealings with upstate businessman Jared Abbruzzese. Bruno was acquitted of five counts and the jury was unable to come to a verdict on one other count. Bruno is set to [...]
Back when the push for charter schools began in the 1990s, their advocates said that this new model of public financing and private control would save money. Freed of regulations and not bound by union contracts, the line went, these schools could provide a quality education at a [...]
Balancing Private Bus Burdens and Benefits
(Tri-State Transportation Campaign)
Cartoonist’s Take on Extraordinary Session
(Matt Davies)
Paying for Prospect Park’s Water System
(Water Watch NYC)
Time Banking Comes to New York
(Idealist in NYC)
Fulton Street’s Diverse Building Stock
(Urban Omnibus)
Accessibility as Part of [...]
Sen. Hiram Monserrate is not going to jail. A judge has sentenced him to three years probation, one year of counseling and 250 hours of civil service. Monserrate was convicted of third-degree reckless assault and could have been sentenced to up to a year in jail.
Monserrate may still lose his [...]
A bill legalizing same-sex marriage was voted down in the New York Senate 24-38, an overwhelming defeat. Eight Democrats voted against the bill; all Republicans voted against it without saying anything more than the word “no.”
For hours Democrats spoke on the floor about why they would vote in favor of [...]
Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the defeat of same sex marriage in the State Senate:
Ive been urging the State Senate to stand up and be counted on an issue of importance to me and millions of other New Yorkers: marriage equality. Although Im deeply disappointed with todays result, and know [...]
After months of maneuvering, same sex marriage finally came to a vote on the State Senate floor this afternoon and, contrary to some earlier predictions, did not pick up any support from Republicans, Gotham Gazette’s David King reports from the Capitol. The measure failed by a vote of 24 to [...]
In her holiday greetings, which just landed in our inbox, former comptroller candidate and Councilmember Melinda Katz announced what her post-council plans come January.
She will join the law firm of Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder.
Here is her message:
Dear Friend,
I hope this holiday season finds you and [...]
Gov. David Paterson still isn’t pleased with the deficit reduction package passed by the legislature. Here is the statement from his office:
While the deficit reduction legislation passed by the Legislature provides needed savings, it falls well short of what is necessary to put New York on the road to fiscal [...]
The Senate just passed the deficit reduction plan, the Tier V pension plan and the authorities reform bill. It was done in record time for the Senate but now comes the hard part.
The chamber has moved to consider same-sex marriage. Sen. Tom Duane who is openly gay explained the bill. [...]
The Assembly worked late last night into the wee hours of the morning, passing a deficit reduction plan, Tier V pension reform and a same-sex marriage bill.
The Senate recessed but has returned this morning ready to vote on all those things and even a public authorities reform [...]
This morning, the mayor, Manhattan borough president, administration from the City University of New York and others gathered on Greenwich Street to break ground on the new, and now infamous Fiterman Hall — a 15-story building that hosted classroom space for the Borough of [...]
Gov. David Paterson won’t stand in the way of the passage of a $2.8 billion deficit reduction plan agreed on by the legislature but it isn’t exactly clear what he will do to help the legislature vote on it.
Paterson said at a press conference today that he disagrees with calling [...]
Legislators say they have been told a deal has been reached and that Gov. David Paterson has accepted a $2.8 billion package to reduce the budget deficit. After over a month of stop-and start-negotiations, a vote is expected to take place as early as noon tomorrow — but not everything [...]
Councilmember Jim Gennaro took a bite out of the big apple today — quite literally.
The Queens-based councilmember chomped into a juicy, green Newtown Pippin on the steps of City Hall this afternoon in order to convince his council colleagues that this Queens-bred fruit should be [...]
Hotel Lobby Misappropriates Privately-Owned Public Space
(I (heart) Public Space)
Mapping Vacant Storefronts
(Curbed)
Analysis of Tax Receipt Decline Must Factor in Tax Increase
(NY Fiscal Watch)
Dueling Economic Geographies Within Global Cities
(New Geography)
The Lifespan of Smart Meters
(PULP Network)
Charter Schools as [...]
Gov. David Paterson sure knows how to bring people together. Senate Democratic Conference Leader and Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos say that they stand together against Paterson’s budget proposal and the notion of giving him the power to cut the budget himself.
Both men say they may work on “improving” [...]
“Cut this deficit with me or I will do it myself,” Gov. David Paterson just told legislators. Paterson announced that he is tired of haggling with the legislature over budget cuts and as a result he plans on giving them two choices.
He will introduce two bills: his original deficit reduction [...]
If you blinked you probably missed today’s Senate session. It lasted all of ten minutes.
Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson gave a speech insisting that progress is being made, despite what Gov. David Paterson might be saying. He also pledged the entire Senate stands against mid-year school cuts.
What about other legislative [...]
Bloomberg Needs to See New York as City of Neighborhoods
(Regional Plan Association)
How to Judge the Next Teachers Contract
(Citizen’s Budget Commission)
State Pension Fund Up, but Still Down
(NY Fiscal Watch)
New York Sun Slowly Re-Rises
(Editor’s Weblog via NYConvergence)
What Researchers Learned [...]
The Alliance for Quality Education is rallying the troops in anticipation of a vote on a deficit reduction plan on Monday. The education advocacy group wants to put pressure on the Assembly to publicly oppose education cuts. Senate Democrats have already made their stance against education cuts perfectly [...]
All over the city NYC Condoms can be found. They’re free, plentiful and pretty easy to find. And if the 3.4 million distributed monthly are any indication, they’re quite popular, too.
But over two years after the city began the condom campaign, anecdotal evidence has trickled in suggesting that people [...]
It may be shocking (not really) but another day has passed without an agreement to reduce the state’s deficit. Many legislators have already departed for their districts and the Senate won’t be in session again until Monday morning. The Assembly is scheduled to return on Monday as well.
Earlier this [...]
There was a sense of accomplishment and competence floating around the Capitol today. The sense was fleeting.
The Senate came to session early this afternoon to consider Leandra’s Law, a bill that makes it a felony to drive drunk with a child in the car and expands the use of interlock [...]
There has been a lot of positive reaction to the deal on public authorities reform reached today between Gov. David Paterson and the legislature.
The legislation is designed to reign in public authorities such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Empire State Development Corp., which have developed a reputation for [...]
Update: The Senate now is expected to vote on the authorities bill this (Wednesday) evening.
A budget deal still seems far away, but leaders in Albany have apparently reached accord on another vexing issue: changing some of the rules governing the state’s public authorities.
Details are not yet available, David [...]
Dana Farrington filed this report on the City Council hearings Tuesday on paid sick leave.
Advocates for paid sick leave in New York City may have viewed the law in San Francisco as an example before, but they probably had not done so literally — until today. The City Council [...]
Things got ugly on the Senate floor last night when Democrats tried to start voting on legislation. Republicans and Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. protested taking any legislative action until a deficit reduction deal is reached.
“Stop the farce,” Diaz demanded. “Stop the mockery. Stop the laughing to the face of [...]
As City Council members rallied to the cause of New York City drivers yesterday, they attacked the administration for playing “gotcha” with traffic violations, using parking tickets as kind of cash cow, and serving as judge and jury for New Yorkers accused of parking illegally. Did the vigorous criticism, [...]
Thirty-eight of the 51 City Council members have signed on to a bill, Intro 1059, that would require private employers in the city to give their worker paid sick days. But the most influential member — Council Speaker Christine Quinn — said she still has not decided whether to [...]
Some Senate Democrats are troubled by the aggression displayed by Sen. Carl Kruger in deficit reduction negotiations this weekend. The Brooklyn Democrat has gone on the offensive against Gov. David Paterson, pledging to block any serious cuts to health care and education. The Times points out that [...]
Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders have heard the public outcry over the state’s new license plate requirement. Are they going to do something about it? Well, maybe.
Paterson issued a statement this evening saying that he is willing to work with the legislature to repeal the requirement that was [...]
City Ranks Sixth Highest as Music Location
(Creative Class)
But Two City Districts Rank in Bottom Tenth for Happiness
(Creative Class)
The City and its Flooded Double
(BLDGBLOG)
The Black Middle Class
(Huffington Post)
Teachers Not Paid to Teach
(The Weekly Standard)
Palestine in Queens
[...]
Judging by the amount of debris cleaned up after their victory parades, New Yorkers were more excited by the Yankees 27th World Series victory than the Giants third Super Bowl win last year. The tallies are in, and the Department of Sanitation reports cleaning up 56.5 tons of paper [...]
With Gov. David Paterson and various fiscal experts warning of dire financial starts for the state, a report released by the Pew Center for the States gave Senate Finance Committee chair Carl Kruger reason for cheer. Citing the report — a fiscal scorecard for [...]
After hours of negotiations, what did the state legislature actually accomplish during yesterday’s special session?
Besides adding to the general perception that they are a “bunch of bumbling do nothings,” as one frustrated observer put it, they actually managed to vote on two pieces of legislation.
The first was a mandate [...]
“Two bills,” that is what Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. replied when asked what he expected to achieve during today’s session.
After hours of waiting, protests, negotiations and general frustration the special session will not produce a vote on same-sex marriage or a deficit reduction package. Espada said he expected [...]
The Senate began special session today by paying tribute to soldiers in honor of Veterans Day. After about half an hour of tribute the Senate stood at ease to wait for bills to be delivered from the Governor’s office.
Both houses have agreed to take up a few issues that [...]
Gov. David Paterson gave it his last big push yesterday in the form of an address to a join session of the state legislature.
“I will mortgage my political career on this plan,” Paterson said. “But I will not mortgage the fate of the State of New York.”
And now the [...]
If it were up to New York, the health care bill in Washington would have been approved by a much wider margin. The vast majority of the state’s 29 members of Congress said “ay.” (The Empire State’s Congressional Delegation approved the bill 24 to 5. The final vote in the [...]
After predicting for months that Mayor Michael Bloomberg was invincible and would win by a double-digit margin, the pundits now offer their explanation for why the mayor did so much worse on Tuesday than they had anticipated. A consensus seems to have emerged: People were furious about term limits, the [...]
Image (c) Coast Guard BM
Just in case you were wondering where some of your elected officials were posturing post-election, many are heading to Puerto Rico today for the annual Somos conference.
First started in 1987, Somos courts itself as the “largest gathering of Puerto [...]
Within a quarter-mile of Gotham Gazette’s offices, there were 103 incidents of stray voltage in the past 21 months. Five of them were potentially fatal, and one shocked a person or a pet.
We know this due to a new map from the Jodie S. Lane Public [...]
Sure, they squabbled over term limits, but they can still sit down for coffee.
In a post-election photo opportunity, newly re-elected Mayor Michael Bloomberg sat down with Public Advocate-elect Bill de Blasio this afternoon to make nice. De Blasio was a Thompson supporter and was very critical of the [...]
Republicans picked up two seats on the City Council yesterday, bringing their total to five seats out of 51. The GOP gains came in District 19 in Bayside, where Republican Dan Halloran defeated Democrat Kevin Kim, and in Flushing’s 20th council district, where Peter Koo, a [...]
Following his narrow victory last night, Michael Bloomberg may make changes — Ben Smith reports in Politico that he has “already promised a major shakeup of his senior aides.”
So who’s headed out the door? David Bloomfield, an education professor at Brooklyn College, bets on Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.
“Eight [...]
According to the New York Times, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has successfully landed a third term.
Just as the New York Times declared the race, so did NBC. According to NY1, with 22 percent of precincts reporting, Bloomberg has 49 percent to Thompson’s 47.66 percent.
Stay tuned for [...]
It’s isn’t only Mike Bloomberg who is advertising.
Even council members who face little opposition are taking to the world wide web. Seen here, Councilmember Jessica Lappin’s ads were spotted on the New York Times site yesterday even though she faces only token Republican [...]
Still mulling whom to vote for today? Well the ballot does provide choice for mayor beyond Michael Bloomberg and Bill Thompson. Also on the ballot are Stephen Christopher (Conservative); Dan Fein (Socialist Worker); Francsica Villar (Socialism and Libertarian); Dan Fein (Socialist Worker); Bill Talen (Green); [...]
By far, the city’s five boroughs have received the largest chunk of stimulus funds compared to every other area in the state, according to data released by the governor’s office today.
Out of about $18 billion, the city has received nearly $8.2 billion. Medicaid and education were the largest recipients [...]
If the election were today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg would land a third term by 50 to 38 percent with 10 percent undecided, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.
Those figures are a small improvement for Thompson compared to last week’s survey, which had the comptroller at [...]
Image (c) lrechis
Some have shown frustration at the city’s delay in getting newer, electronic voting machines.
Others don’t want to get rid of the old-fashioned lever machines at all.
On the steps of City Hall this afternoon, council members Helen Foster, Robert Jackson, [...]
In our ongoing efforts to keep the mayoral candidates (somewhat) honest, we refer you to a fact check on last night’s debate in the New York Times.
The summary: Bloomberg’s clam that Thompson’s proposals would require massive tax increases is “highly dubious.” His argument that test scores did [...]
The second — and final debate — between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Comptroller Bill Thompson featured a number of sharp exchanges between the two men, few flashes of affability or humor — and no lightening round. As Thompson struck a tougher stance and offered a more staccato delivery than [...]
Image (c) johnnieutah
The Right to the City-NYC, a coalition of New York City community organizations, released a new examination of the number of vacant condominium buildings in 10 community districts across the city — a number not exhaustive, but they say has surpassed 600. [...]
A new report by the Empire Center for New York State Policy shows that, between 2000 and 2008 New York suffered the largest loss of residents to other states of any state in the nation.The report found that a majority of the people who left the state resided [...]
Go to WABC-TV’s web site this afternoon and you can see a story on Halloween costumes, a lot of coverage of the rain and – our favorite! — a slide show of Dancing with the Stars. You also get one, eight-sentence AP story on tonight’s mayoral debate.
Go [...]
The Rev. Al Sharpton and Councilmember Charles Barron delivered a message to central Brooklyn’s staple, Councilmember Al Vann, this morning: It’s not you. It’s them.
Sharpton and Barron went against the Democratic tradition of backing incumbents to endorse insurgent candidate Mark Winston Griffith, who lost [...]
With the United Federation of Teachers and the Bloomberg administration locked behind closed doors negotiating a contract, speculation continues about what a final accord might look like.
The contract will undoubtedly involve money but will also address work rules and other provisions contained in the approximately 200-page [...]
Gov. David Paterson seems ready for a showdown with the legislature. Paterson has set Nov 10. as the date for a special session for both houses to address the budget deficit and other legislation that wasn’t taken care of during the regular session.
Before that occurs Paterson wants a public leaders [...]
It happens every fall. As Election Day nears, some readers and political types ask whether Gotham Gazette endorses candidates. Others wonder about the relationship between Gotham Gazette and endorsements made by Citizens Union.
The answer is simple: Gotham Gazette does not now and never, ever has endorsed candidates. It would be [...]
The latest poll results from Quinnipiac University are out and since last week’s Marist poll Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gained another point over Comptroller Bill Thompson.
The results have Thompson trailing Bloomberg by 18 points — 53 to 35 percent. Even among Democrats Thompson is behind with [...]
In a room about three times the size of the space given to Comptroller Bill Thompson and a warm crowd to fill it, Mayor Michael Bloomberg reiterated his economic plan for a third term at a Crain’s breakfast this morning, arguing the city couldn’t afford his opponent’s [...]
Residents of rent-regulated apartments got a rare piece of good news this morning as the state’s highest court ruled that Tishman Speyer and Black Rock Realty improperly raised rents on thousands of apartments in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village.
The tenants’ good news could spell serious [...]
The city-sponsored design competition to improve the ubiquitous royal blue sidewalk shed has been narrowed down to three finalists out of 164 submissions. Jurists in the urbanSHED competition selected the Tripod MOD(ule), urbanCLOUD, and the Urban Umbrella. Click here to see a slide show.
“The winning solutions and the [...]
Incorporating the aesthetics of the natural reclamation of urban abandonment was part of the intent of the High Line park that snakes its way above the streets of the Meat Packing district. But street art wasn’t considered an essential element of that urban fabric, and graffiti that once adorned the [...]
Legislative leaders made it clear to Gov. David Paterson at a leaders meeting this morning that they are skittish about proposed cuts to education and health care.
Paterson previously said he wanted the legislature back in special session to consider his deficit reduction package on Oct. 28 but now [...]
Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. issued a statement this morning slamming the Senate panel charged with punishing Sen. Hiram Monserrate. Diaz says he believes the panel is designed to let Democrats and Republicans “settle the score” with Monserrate for the embarrassment he put both conferences through during the Senate coup.
“First, it [...]
Gov. David Paterson will meet with legislative leaders tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in the Red Room. The Assembly will hold hearings on Paterson’s deficit reduction plan in Albany starting at 9:30 a.m.
Paterson has said he will call legislators into special session on Oct. 28 to deal with [...]
Add Sen. Bill Perkins and Comptroller Bill Thompson to the list of politicians who think Sen. Hiram Monserrate should resign after being convicted of a misdemeanor assault charge.
Azi Payabarah of the Observer reported that Thompson told reporters today, “I think its becoming clearer, and clearer each and every [...]
Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson has announced the Democratic makeup of the panel that will decide how to appropriately punish Sen. Hiram Monserrate.
Sen. Eric Schneiderman will chair the committee and he will be joined by Sens. Andrea Stewart Cousins, Toby Ann Stavisky, Diane Savino and Ruth Hassell Thompson.
Monserrate, who [...]
The outcry for Sen. Hiram Monserrate to step down is becoming deafening, and the Senate leadership is poised to announce the formation of a committee to review the charges against him.
Liz Benjamin reports that Sen. Eric Schneiderman will probably chair the committee that is looking into reprimanding or possibly [...]
Democratic Public Advocate Nominee Bill de Blasio has joined the down-with Hiram Monserrate fray, which now includes a number of prominent Democratic state legislators and U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
Here is a statement from de Blasio, who served with Monserrate in the City Council for [...]
The Broadway Triangle from HPD
The City Planning Commission approved the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx and the development of the Broadway Triangle in Brooklyn today — both controversial applications that have seen significant community opposition.
Both of the [...]
Despite being a vocal critic of the mayor’s term limit extension, Citizens Union, the sister organization to Gotham Gazette’s publisher, has endorsed Mayor Michael Bloomberg for a third term.
The move could come as a surprise some, considering the good government group’s vocal stance on term limits. According [...]
Sen. Liz Krueger is demanding that Sen. Hiram Monserrate resign from the Senate.
“I believe Hiram Monserrate should not remain in the Senate, and for the sake of his constituents, the institution of the Senate and the Democratic party he should resign immediately based on the seriousness of his violent crime,” [...]
Sen. Hiram Monserrate was acquitted by a judge today of two felony assault charges. He was found guilty on one misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment. Monserrate will be sentenced on Dec. 4. He could face up to a year in jail.
Last December Monserrate’s then girlfriend Karla Giraldo was slashed [...]
Here is the press release from Gov. David Paterson’s office detailing his deficit reduction plan:
GOVERNOR PATERSON PROPOSES TWO-YEAR, $5.0 BILLION DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN TO ADDRESS CURRENT-YEAR BUDGET GAP, IMPROVE NEW YORK’S LONG-TERM FISCAL STABILITY
Aggressive, Across-the-board Spending Reductions Represent Tough Choices Necessary to Confront State’s Historic Budget Difficulties;
Major Structural Reforms [...]
Gov. David Paterson has yet to officially unveil his plan to reduce the state’s growing budget deficit but legislators are already attacking it.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told the New York Post that Paterson’s proposal is a “worse case scenario” and Sen. Carl Kruger told the Daily News that [...]
There were some empty chairs and muted applause. But attendees at a Crain’s breakfast this morning witnessed the grilling of Comptroller William Thompson and his plans for New York City.
As part of that discussion, he offered up an explanation for his so-called flip-flop on the millionaire’s tax [...]
City Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito has introduced a bill that would require the city take a census to count vacant property every year. The measure also calls for the city to publish information, online and in print, identifying owners of vacant property as well as when the property became [...]
Gov. David Paterson will unveil his plan to reduce the state’s growing budget deficit tomorrow at 1 p.m. Whether he and the legislature will be able to come to terms on the plan remains to be seen. But Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is encouraging both sides to hurry up and make [...]
The barrage of education statistics continues, ramped up by the mayoral election campaign.
Earlier this week — and the day before the mayoral candidates’ debate — Schools Chancellor Joel Klein held a glitzy presentation comparing the city’s record with those of other schools districts in the state. Klein declared [...]
Sparked by last night’s lightening round, Council Speaker Christine Quinn was asked this afternoon whether she thinks President Barack Obama has done enough for the LGBT community in his first months in office.
In a nutshell, the council’s first openly gay speaker said, “No.”
“Obviously I think the LGBT community [...]
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Democratic opponent William Thompson Jr. clashed in their first debate tonight, a fast-moving contest characterized more by each man’s criticisms of the other than by any forward looking policy prescriptions.
Most objective observers (i.e. not the spin doctors made available by both sides in the Museo [...]
Ad for the new anti-Thompson site” title=”thompson-tax-hike” width=”372″ height=”315″ class=”size-full wp-image-5493″ />Ad for the new anti-Thompson site
So, why is the new anti-Bill Thompson site so elusive?
Well it doesn’t have any “paid for by the Thompson Tax Hike Committee” anywhere on its homepage. And that’s probably because [...]
Courtney Gross, Gail Robinson, Mike Muller, David King
