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Report from the Hearing Room
October 16th, 2008

Today’s standing room-only hearings on term limits extensions got underway at 1 PM, though the scramble for seats had started several hours earlier. A room-full of New Yorkers is watching on closed circuit TV next door to council chambers, while those who couldn’t fit into the overflow room were sent home to watch NY1.

If you don’t have cable, City Room is live-blogging the hearings and
Liz Benjamin has been
posting regular updates, including an observation that many of the seats filled early with “Democrats for Choices,” a collection of Bloomberg supporters who “have steadfastly refused to tell reporters their names and also won’t say if they were paid to show up at City Hall.” The Observer has more from their source inside council chambers.

Citizens Union Foundation’s resident Coro Fellow, Daren Mills, not (yet) acclimated to the perambulations of elected officials, complained that the preambling, post-ambling, non-questions, multi-part questions and generally avoiding getting to the point make for a whole lot of dragging out. Just two hours in and already, he’s drained.

The overall debate has centered around predictable issues: the Council does have the legal authority to amend the charter, though that doesn’t mean they should; the Council does have the legal authority to amend the charter, which does mean they should; a referendum would draw too few voters; incumbents have too much power; a referendum would be expensive.

Nonetheless, the multi-part questions are a long way from over, though things are starting to heat up a little. Hearings are expected to extend well into the evening and start all over again at 10:00 tomorrow.

By Amanda Hickman on October 16, 2008, 5:11 pm
In category: Civil Rights, Governing | No Comments »

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Addabbo Targets Maltese in Queens
October 16th, 2008

In yet another front on the Democrats’ charge on Republican control of the State Senate, Councilmember Joseph Addabbo has set his sights on Republican incumbent Serphin Maltese’s seat in Senate District 15 in Queens.

Addabbo’s primary oppenent, Albert Baldeo, brought to light Maltese’s weakness to a challenge two years ago by coming within 900 votes of the incumbent. Baldeo has since dropped out and thrown his support to Addabbo, but some Republicans find that support disingenuous.

“Mr. Baldeos own web site calls City Councilmember Joe Addabbo a law-breaking, tax-increasing, animal rights-abusing puppet who denigrates and harasses minorities,” Queens County Republican Party Chair, Phil Ragusa, told the Queens Courier.

The two candidates debated at a forum this week, and the Daily Politics reports that mayoral control of the schools (which will need to be approved again by the state) was a major issue there. Addabbo said that the Bloomberg Adminstration had not done a good job of communicating with principles and teachers and he signaled out schoolroom cuts pushed by the mayor as unfair. Maltese, for his part, said parents need to have more of a say in their children’s education, but that there has been more accountability as a result of the mayor’s control. Addabbo recently held a hearing on mayoral control that was boycotted by the Department of Education.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Mike Muller on October 16, 2008, 4:55 pm
In category: Education, Electoral Politics, Governing | No Comments »

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Vanishing Projects
October 15th, 2008

The Bloomberg administration has seen no shortage of plans for grandiose development projects. But with credit tight and the city’s economy reeling from Wall Street’s woes, some of those projects — for better or worse — seem likely to go no further than drawing boards.

Which ones?

Vornado Realty Trust has already suspended its plans for a 23-story, $435 million headquarters for Major League Baseballs cable network in Harlem and, the Times reports today, Vornado says its effort to build a 1.3 million-square-foot office tower over the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd Street is also “dormant.”

At a forum on the New York City economy at Cooper Union last night, panelists offered their own predictions of likely losers. (And please send us yours!)
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on October 15, 2008, 9:21 am
In category: Economy, Gotham City, Land Use, Transportation | 3 Comments »

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Talking Term Limits
October 14th, 2008

If you happen to be downtown or in Williamsburg or in Kew Gardens this afternoon you’ll hear more than just residents talking about term limits — you’ll hear term limits banter blasted from several Working Families Party trucks.

The party, which has mounted an anti-term limits extension campaign and is gathering signatures to boost their counter-offensive, is targeting undecided council members by sending sound trucks onto their districts’ streets.

Today, council members Alan Gerson, David Yassky and Melinda Katz are the targets.

Elsewhere, mayoral candidate Rep. Anthony Weiner is reportedly encouraging residents to stand up and speak out at the first hearing on term limits scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday. Since officials said they would stay as long as necessary for everyone to be heard, some groups are pushing for an all-nighter.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on October 14, 2008, 1:00 pm
In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Law, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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Weekly Web Under Wraps
October 10th, 2008

  • A special education teacher helps create a charter school.
    (Lesson Plans)
  • State recommends policies for standardized electronic health info sharing.
    (Modern Healthcare via Fierce Health IT)
  • Comparing ’80s subway graffiti to the new whole car advertisements.
    (Anti-Advertising Agency)
  • A look at the renovation of the Bronx Zoo Lion House.
    (Architect Magazine)
  • Wall Street Journal lays off online editors.
    (Fine on Media)
  • Time Warner asks for price deregulation due to Verizon FiOS.
    (Multichannel News via NYConvergence)
  • State ranks 6th in energy efficiency.
    (Tri-State Transportation Campaign)
  • But it ranks 16th in campaign disclosure.
    (Campaign Disclosure Project via GovTech.com)
  • Rep. Carolyn Maloney takes some lumps on her financial reputation.
    (Serf City)
  • Banana republic fever? Nah, Bloombergism sounds better.
    (Slate)
  • What if it was Bush asking for a third term?
    (Brooklyn Optimist)
  • “The ‘Indispensable’ Mayors” cartoon.
    (Matt Davies)
  • Manhattan Institute’s new state budget blog.
    (NY Fiscal Watch)
  • The Health Department starts blogging, too.
    (nycHealthy)
  • By Mike Muller on October 10, 2008, 12:43 pm
    In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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    Gennaro Takes On Padavan in Queens
    October 9th, 2008

    The prospect of Democratic control of the State Senate, which hangs in the balance by one seat, has encouraged Councilmember James Gennaro that it is the perfect time to challenge the incumbent Republican senator in his district in Queens, Frank Padavan. And if numbers alone are any prediction, that possibility could put him in office: Of nearly 7,000 newly registered voters in Senate District 11, Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-to-1.

    If the Democrats take the Senate, they will control the entire legislature and all of the executive offices. In Gennaro’s eyes, that will lead to a more responsive and ethical state government and a better funded city.

    The Republican Party is “not getting the peoples business done because the peoples business is not on their agenda,” he said at a rally last month, according to the Politicker.

    And Padavan defends the status quo, “saying weve made great strides because we vote in our seats now,” he remarked at a more recent forum, the Jackson Heights Times reports. “I think we have a situation where the Republican majority is more worried about hanging onto power rather than doing the peoples business.”

    But Gennaro should be careful about positioning himself as a reformer, cautions Vincent Tabone, a Newsday blogger and vice chair of the Queens GOP (added). “Given the slush fund scandals plaguing the City Council, Gennaro being flagged for community newspaper advertising with public dollars complaints and Gennaros past fines for misuse of public employees and his public offices.”
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Mike Muller on October 9, 2008, 4:14 pm
    In category: Albany, Electoral Politics, Environment, Governing, Immigrants | 3 Comments »

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    Lauder Says OK
    October 8th, 2008

    As news breaks that Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Ron Lauder have reached a deal on term limits (that Lauder will apprehensively support a change to three terms legislatively, but the city will follow up with a charter revision commission in 2010) the administration released the following statement:

    Ron Lauder and I met today and continued our conversation about term limits and the future of New York City. Ron and I share many of the same goals and many of the same concerns, and I am proud to have his support for the legislation our administration introduced in the City Council this week.

    Thoughts?

    By Courtney Gross on October 8, 2008, 5:20 pm
    In category: Gotham City, Governing, Law, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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    Our Term Limit Poll
    October 8th, 2008

    Mayor Bloomberg, Happy Birthday!
    Photo courtesy of CarbonNYC

    We have closed our term limit poll (full results are available here) and 41 percent of participating Gotham Gazette readers do not want to see a change in term limits, because voters have already spoken.

    Coming in second, 22 percent said it is OK to change term limits if done by a referendum, and 14 percent don’t think Mayor Michael Bloomberg is special enough to keep around anyway. Another 14 percent said we should do away with term limits, because it’s a bad public policy, and 7 percent said it was OK to extend term limits just this once so Hizzoner can guide us through this financial crisis.

    For more on term limits, check out our latest coverage here and a comparison of all of the proposals at the City Council here.

    By Courtney Gross on October 8, 2008, 10:28 am
    In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Law | No Comments »

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    How to Cut Spending
    October 8th, 2008

    As the markets plunge and Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson calls for budget cutbacks, opposition to some of the possible reductions in programs has begun to build. A new coalition, One New York: Fighting for Fairness, will hold its first press conference this Friday. According to the press release from the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, which seeks funding for public schools, the coalition seeks to raise “revenues fairly and reasonably, rather than balancing the budget on the backs of the neediest.” (Sound like a possible millionaire’s tax hike to you?)

    Meanwhile an article by Juan Gonzalez in today’s Daily News seems sure to raise the hackles of coalition members. While the Department of Education faces $$185 million in new cuts, Gonzalez reports, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein continues to pack the Tweed Courthouse with high-priced “educrats.” Despite an alleged hiring freeze, the department has announced it seeks to fill several high-paying positions with strange titles: knowledge management domain leader for leadership and organizational management; knowledge management domain leader for mathematics and science; and senior achievement facilitator. All these posts pay $170,000 a year (with benefits).

    The new hires, according to Gonzalez, represent a trend as the head count at department headquarters increased by nearly 400 between October 2004 and last April. The greatest boost — ironically, if not surprisingly — has come in the Office of Accountability.

    By Gail Robinson on October 8, 2008, 8:26 am
    In category: Education, Public Finance, Social Services | No Comments »

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    James on the Caucus
    October 6th, 2008

    According to Councilmember Letitia James, the presumptive co-sponsor of legislation that would require a city charter commission look into the term limits issue, this afternoon’s Democratic caucus was split over a different proposal by the mayor to extend term limits from two to three terms.

    James said seven members spoke out in favor of the legislation, while eight members spoke out against the bill.

    The bill pushed by the mayor, she said, is still slated for introduction tomorrow. Her bill, however, will not be introduced until the next stated meeting later this month, because they missed the deadline. The deadline was 5 p.m. Friday. James said the request was handed in an hour later.

    By Courtney Gross on October 6, 2008, 6:06 pm
    In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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    A New Term Limits Bill
    October 6th, 2008


    Council members Bill de Blasio and Letitia James blasted the administration on the steps of City Hall this afternoon, calling the move to extend term limits worse than the days of Tammany Hall.

    “Whatever happened in the days of Tammany Hall, it pales in comparison to the notion of literally a small group of millionaires deciding when the rules can be changed and who gets to lead,” said Councilmember Bill de Blasio.

    James added: “My ancestors died for the right to vote. There is blood on the streets of people who died for the right to vote. And the mayor of the city of New York is ignoring all of that and basically said its problematic to bring it to the voters.”

    The scene at City Hall today before the City Council went into a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting was abuzz about term limits.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Courtney Gross on October 6, 2008, 5:38 pm
    In category: Gotham City | 4 Comments »

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    From Inside the Caucus
    October 6th, 2008

    What I hear from inside the City Council’s Democratic caucus meeting, which started at around 3:30 p.m. and is scheduled to end at 5 p.m., is there will be two Governmental Operations hearings on the leadership’s bill (what some call the mayor’s bill) once it has been introduced tomorrow.

    The first hearing will be reserved for the public.

    One councilmember says they didn’t receive copies of the proposed legislation, but members have been told it would change term limits from two to three terms permanently.

    Interestingly, if the mayor’s bill simply changed term limits from two to three terms, that would be identical to Councilmember Oliver Koppell’s proposal. Koppell put in a legislative request on Sept. 4, and we haven’t heard of any movement since.

    Technically, the speaker’s office has 60 days to draft legislation for introduction from the time of a request.

    By Courtney Gross on October 6, 2008, 4:36 pm
    In category: Gotham City, Governing | 1 Comment »

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    Charter Shenanigans
    October 6th, 2008

    Charter revision would appear to be the wonkiest of all issues. Because or in spite of that, though, the last two mayors have used the issue of changing the rules regarding city government as a cudgel for getting their way in other areas.

    Witness Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s machinations this weekend. In an effort to win billionaire Ronald Lauder’s support for changing term limits so Bloomberg can run again, Bloomberg reportedly promised Lauder a seat on a charter revision commission. (Lauder supports only a one-time extension; many City Council members want a permanent change from two terms to three, and Bloomberg, it seems fair to say, supports whatever will get him four more years). The Post reports that a charter commission appointed by the mayor and apparently including Lauder “would study reverting to a two-term limit and put it on the ballot in 2010″ — by which time Bloomberg would already be in his third term. In return for the commission post, Lauder would not put those dirty diaper ads back on TV.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Gail Robinson on October 6, 2008, 12:39 pm
    In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Law | No Comments »

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    Weekly Web Wrap
    October 3rd, 2008

  • Green zoning could further long term sustainable growth.
    (Sallan Foundation)
  • Gawker lays off more writers.
    (Silicon Alley Insider via NYConvergence)
  • Support for comprehensive waterfront plan bill.
    (Municipal Art Society)
  • New York’s digital bermuda triangle.
    (Arcane Radio Trivia via Free 103.9)
  • Queens still leads in foreclosures.
    (The Real Estate)
  • Calatrava notes George Washington Bridge was also built during crisis.
    (Metropolis)
  • Missing the New York Sun.
    (Next American City)
  • Alliance for Downtown New York unveils next round of construction art.
    (LowerManhattan.info)
  • Bike rack competition finalists are placed around the city.
    (NYCityRacks)
  • The architect of the world’s greenest skyscraper.
    (Inhabitat)
  • Manhattan Bridge bike path mired for years in bureaucracy.
    (Streetsblog)
  • Assemblymember Micah Kellner discloses disclosure form.
    (ReformNY)
  • By Mike Muller on October 3, 2008, 3:22 pm
    In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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    Quinn's Third Term
    October 2nd, 2008

    At a press briefing in the Red Room, Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she would run for reelection to her Chelsea-based council seat, not for mayor, if the council approved legislation extending term limits.

    Quinn also said she would run again for speaker.

    The speaker has not solidified her position yet on the bill, which she said, from her understanding, would permanently extend term limits from two to three terms. It would not be a one-time, so-called quick fix extension.

    The bill is scheduled to be introduced at the council’s meeting on Tuesday. Prior to that, Quinn said, she will meet with colleagues and hold a Democratic caucus meeting in an attempt to solidify her and the whole body’s position.

    By Courtney Gross on October 2, 2008, 3:12 pm
    In category: Gotham City | 1 Comment »

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    Thoughts on Term Limits
    October 2nd, 2008

    We just got his release from Comptroller William Thompson, who told Crain’s he would still be running for mayor next year.

    I am extremely disappointed in Mayor Bloombergs announcement. I have always taken the Mayor at his word, particularly when he said on multiple occasions that altering term limits through a council vote would be disgraceful. Let me be clear: todays announcement constitutes an attempt to suspend democracy. We should not undermine the will of the voters.

    And this from the Campaign Finance Board Chairman Joseph P. Parkes, S. J.:
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Courtney Gross on October 2, 2008, 2:20 pm
    In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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    Bloomberg: Make That Three
    October 2nd, 2008

    It’s a “crisis of confidence” which may only be remedied by a third term for Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

    At least, that’s what he thinks.

    In front of a standing room only crowd at City Hall this afternoon, Bloomberg announced that if the City Council were to approve legislation extending term limits, he would run for reelection. It’s the dire financial circumstances — different from the aftermath of 9-11 — he argues, that makes his potential candidacy, and the need to extend term limits, a necessity.

    In times of crisis, the people need options.

    “Nobody is taking away options,” said Bloomberg. “It’s giving the public another one.”
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Courtney Gross on October 2, 2008, 2:14 pm
    In category: Gotham City | 1 Comment »

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    Where do you stand on term limits?
    October 2nd, 2008

    So far, voters in this morning’s Eye Opener Poll are pretty evenly split between letting term limits stand and wanting them gone. The top two choices point to New Yorker’s concern that the voters should have a chance to make the call, with 38% of respondents answering No, the voters have spoken twice already and another 28% arguing Yes, but only if the voters approve it in a referendum.

    Let us know what you think or take a look at the results yourself.

    By Amanda Hickman on October 2, 2008, 11:19 am
    In category: Gotham City, Governing, nextNY | No Comments »

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    Council's Four More Years
    October 1st, 2008

    The mayor’s apparent decision to topple the term limits law has enough possible repercussions to occupy political junkies for weeks, if not months, to come. Most of the speculation has centered on the plans of those who had planned to run for mayor — and who may not want to continue their quest against a popular billionaire — but what about all those City Council members who will also get a new lease on office? And the people who had hoped to replace them?
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Gail Robinson on October 1, 2008, 2:32 pm
    In category: Gotham City | 2 Comments »

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    The Power of Money
    October 1st, 2008

    Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s apparent decision to run for a third term has, it seems, a lot to do with money: the loss of it on Wall Street and the power of people — including Bloomberg — who still have lots of it.

    While Bloomberg retains much of his popularity, the move for a third term apparently gained momentum because of backing from powerful business leaders in the city.

    “At charity balls and on golf courses, executives like the financier Steven Rattner, the developer Jerry I. Speyer and the media mogul Rupert Murdoch have encouraged him to seek a third term,” the Times reports. Rattner, for one, told the paper: “This is a good time for him to do this. People are scared.”

    “The timing suggests that Bloomberg made up his mind after hearing supportive words from a tiny circle of city powerbrokers and wealthy businessmen,” writes Tom Robbins in Runnin’ Scared.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Gail Robinson on October 1, 2008, 9:40 am
    In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing | No Comments »

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