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Quinn's Allies Get Bills Passed
January 21st, 2009

The Daily News this morning looks at all of the bills passed by the City Council since 2002, and it finds Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s confidants have the best luck.

At the end of 2007, we did the same thing. We looked at who introduced the most bills (it was Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. back then) since Quinn took over as leader and whether they were likely to get their legislation passed.

Like the News, we too found Quinn’s allies — and those that headed the council’s most influential committees (ahem, David Weprin) — were able to see their legislation through to law.

For a full breakdown of our list, which details every member’s legislative record (from introductions to hearings to approval) go here.

By Courtney Gross on January 21, 2009, 10:40 am
In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Law, Public Finance | No Comments »

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Coney Island Rollercoaster
January 20th, 2009

The city’s plan for Coney Island has not even been officially released yet — that’s to take place this afternoon — but opposition is already building.

A message on Coney Island.com says, “This process will determine whether Coney Island remains an amusement park or if it will become another shopping mall filled with retail, high rise buildings and hotels.” The message urges New Yorkers to make their preference known by showing up at today’s presentation. ” We want to put the city on notice that people are paying attention, and that we won’t let their plan be pushed through the zoning process without opposition,” the message says.

The Brooklyn Paper notes that Coney Island’s principal landowner, Joe Sitt of Thor Equities, opposes the city plan. And Dick Zigun of Coney Island USA, complained, the city is ” not doing what they could do to preserve truly historic structures.

Today’s release sets off a lengthy approval process. Next stop, the local community board.

By Gail Robinson on January 20, 2009, 9:29 am
In category: Community Development, Land Use, Waterfront | 1 Comment »

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The Week on the Web
January 16th, 2009

  • Arts Group Engages Public About Vertical Farming
    (Metropolis Magazine)
  • A Debate Over Ethnic Charter Schools
    (Taking Note)
  • A Map of the City’s Organic Water System
    (New York Moon via BLDGBLOG)
  • Streetcars Instead of Second Ave. Subway?
    (Next American City)
  • A New Plan For Congestion Pricing
    (Grist via Planetizen)
  • Dunkin’ Donuts Giving Away Free Metrocards
    (Daily Gotham)
  • Be Homeless for a Night, Help Count the Homeless
    (Idealist in NYC)
  • Council Committee Gives Short Shrift to Deterring Traffic Violence
    (Streetsblog)
  • Gloomy Forecast for Regional Construction Industry
    (New York Construction)
  • Tap’dNY Competition Seeks Ideas for Reusing Plastic Bottles
    (Core77)
  • Albany Lawmakers to Work Four Days a Week Instead of Two or Three
    (Daily Politics)
  • By Mike Muller on January 16, 2009, 2:36 pm
    In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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    IBO Now Blogs
    January 16th, 2009

    The Independent Budget Office today unveiled a new Web site design that offers a quicker and more efficient user experience. They also posted the first item on their new blog. (The post estimates that a federal stimulus bill under consideration would increase federal Medicaid payments to the city by 8 percent, rising from 50 percent to 54 percent of total Medicaid spending.)

    “New Yorkers may be facing hard fiscal times, but we want to provide them with easier access to objective information and analysis of the city’s budget,” said IBO Director Ronnie Lowenstein in a statement. “Our new Web design makes it much easier to use the site to find reports and other data produced by IBO. And the Weblog provides a new outlet for presenting short and timely looks at important economic and fiscal issues.”

    New Yorkers can now subscribe by RSS to their blog. If they subscribe to the entire site, the agency’s testimonies, letters and other data – including blog posts – are available, as they have been now for months.

    Although the site features the ability to subscribe to blog comments, there are no plans to allow comments on the site. “We don’t have the resources to monitor a live comment function at this time,” says spokesperson Doug Turetsky. He points out that New Yorkers can still send comments by email to iboenews@ibo.nyc.ny.us.

    The new IBO site comes on the heels of the release of a new blog on the City Council Web site. (Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum praised the Council initiative – on her own blog – but held out hope it would offer a commenting function). A City Council Twitter feed is also newly available. The Council site’s RSS feeds still aren’t available, however.

    By Mike Muller on January 16, 2009, 11:50 am
    In category: Health, Measuring UP, Public Finance, Tech, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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    New Campaign Finance Data
    January 16th, 2009

    Last night was the fourth sixth campaign finance filing deadline for the 2009 election for those receiving public financing from the Campaign Finance Board.

    The totals are available here (fixed). A lot of the filings have not been updated yet for the larger, citywide races (like mayor and comptroller). We’ll keep our eye on it throughout the day and keep you posted on any interesting findings.

    Also look out for those that have decided to drop out or freeze their accounts (marked with an asterisk and available here) — most likely a casualty of the term limits extension.

    By Courtney Gross on January 16, 2009, 10:51 am
    In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Measuring UP, Public Finance | No Comments »

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    Brooklyn Community Board Removal Explained
    January 15th, 2009

    The ongoing saga over a bicycle lane in Williamsburg has included scantly clad women, bike clowns, and fake street signs. But the energy at the local community board’s Tuesday hearing was the result of outrage over the removal of Teresa Toro as chair of the board’s transportation committee. Although there was speculation over the reason for her dismissal, the board’s chair, Vincent Abate, had previously refused to elaborate on why.

    Last night he revealed that Toro was deposed because of a correction she requested from a local paper, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. She clarified to the paper that a letter from Abate expressing his personal opinion was interpreted as the opinion of the whole board. The letter, which was sent on the board’s letterhead and was also signed by District Manager Gerald Esposito, was sent to the Department of Transportation and it asked them to reconsider the bike lane.

    The correction request lead to a contentious back and forth between Toro and other board members and ultimately resulted in her firing. The email exchange, which was accidentally forwarded to the Eagle, was between those who were upset by her “going to the press,” and those who supported her.

    At the hearing, a motion was made by board members to reinstate Toro but was denied, according to Gothamist. Abate refused to say whether he would place her back in the chair, saying “Don’t worry about it.”

    About 150 people showed up to the sometimes sleepy hearing, according to Streetsblog.

    By Mike Muller on January 15, 2009, 8:21 am
    In category: Land Use, Transportation, Waterfront | 6 Comments »

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    Fare Hike Hearings Start Tonight
    January 14th, 2009

    The MTA is kicking of a series of public hearings about the proposed fare hike tonight at 6. There’s still time to get to the Midtown Hilton if you don’t need bus service to get you there. You can follow the proceedings on NY1 if you can’t make it (or check the schedule to find a hearing you can make).

    By Amanda Hickman on January 14, 2009, 5:22 pm
    In category: Transportation | 1 Comment »

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    Bored of Your Community Board?
    January 14th, 2009

    Think you could do better? Streetsblog wants you to know it isn’t too late. They’ve got information and applications for all five boroughs. You’ve got until tomorrow to apply for a Manhattan spot, the Queens BP is taking applications all month and Bronx or Brooklyn residents have until early February. Staten Islanders can cool their heels until May, though.

    By Amanda Hickman on January 14, 2009, 5:07 pm
    In category: Gotham City | 1 Comment »

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    Krueger and the Reform Committee?
    January 14th, 2009

    It’s been on again, off again for Sen. Liz Krueger of Manhattan’s East Side. Earlier this week it was announced that she would serve as a member of the temporary Committee on Rules and Administration Reform. Now though, spokespersons for Krueger and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith say she may not.

    A spokesperson for Smith said that Krueger felt that her role as the vice chair of the Finance Committee would keep her too busy to properly contribute to the Committee on Rules and Reform. Krueger is considered a strong advocate for rules changes.

    It is not clear who would replace Krueger should she refuse the post. Rules committee Co-chair Sen. David Valesky was in his district and unavailable for comment.

    By David King on January 14, 2009, 4:41 pm
    In category: Albany, Eye on Albany, Gotham City | No Comments »

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    Tedisco Hammers Paterson on Hillary Replacement
    January 14th, 2009

    Tenacious Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco has been raising quite a fuss over the way Gov. David Paterson has handled his search to find someone to fill Hillary Clintons soon-to-be vacant Senate seat. Yesterday Tedisco introduced legislation that would require a special election to take place within 100 days after a Senate seat is vacated. Paterson has argued that a special election would not only cost the taxpayers money, but would cost the new Senator a bit of seniority, thereby reducing New Yorks influence in the Senate.

    Today Liz Benjamin over at The Daily Politics revealed that Tedisco has filed a Freedom of Information request with the Governors office asking for the questionnaire forms Paterson had Senate hopefuls fill out. The forms have been said to require a thorough financial disclosure.

    Paterson has insisted the form is private, but good government proponents as well as the Republican minority disagree. Tedisco also wants a record of the candidates the governor has spoken to and met with regarding the seat.

    On top of all that feistiness Tedisco sent Paterson a letter requesting the governor not make any decision regarding Clintons successor until it is clear how interested the legislature is in instituting special elections in case of Senate vacancies. Thanks to the Democratic majority, interest is likely to be fair to none. Regardless, Tedisco wrote in his letter to Paterson, This is a matter that addresses the core principal of our representative democracy – that the citizen voters should choose their representatives.

    By David King on January 14, 2009, 3:23 pm
    In category: Albany, Electoral Politics, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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    Term Limit Suit Rejected (Update)
    January 13th, 2009

    Check off round one for Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

    US District Court Judge Charles Sifton dismissed a legal claim today that the term limit extension violated the fist and fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs are expected to appeal.

    In the 64-page decision, Sifton wrote that acting in “self interest” – an argument of the plaintiffs – cannot determine what is or what is not constitutional.

    The decision states:

    “Permitting incumbents to run for reelection does not amount to entrenchment. The election is a basic check against entrenchment, enabling the voters to hold legislators accountable for their performance in office.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Courtney Gross on January 13, 2009, 4:01 pm
    In category: Civil Rights, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Law | No Comments »

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    No Runs, No Hits, Many Errors
    January 13th, 2009

    The Bloomberg administration’s decision to give up its luxury suite and other perks at the new Yankee Stadium has not stopped criticism of the city handling of the financing for the stadium. In a statement released today, City Comptroller William Thompson slammed the administration for ” financial incompetence saddling city taxpayers with astronomically steeper costs” for the house that George built.

    According to Thompson, who is running against Michael Bloomberg, taxpayers were told in 2006 that they would shell out $129 million for direct capital costs for the stadium, such as replacing parkland and improved infrastructure. That figure has now increased to $325 million.

    As much as New Yorkers may love the Bombers (those of us who aren’t Mets fans, away), spending for their stadium has come under increased scrutiny as the city has slipped into tough fiscal times. Read the rest of this entry »

    By Gail Robinson on January 13, 2009, 3:30 pm
    In category: Albany, Gotham City, Land Use, Parks, Public Finance | No Comments »

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    Senate Majority Leadership
    January 13th, 2009

    The office of Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith released a list of Senate leadership assignments today. Compensation for the posts is included. These stipends or lu-lus are on top of the regular Senate salary of around $80,000.

    Senate Majority Leader/ Temporary President: Malcolm Smith, $41,500

    Chair of Finance: Carl Kruger, $34,000

    VP Temporary President: David Valesky, $34,000

    Deputy Majority Leader for Legislative Operations: Jeffrey Klein, $34,000

    Sr. Assistant Majority Leader for Conference Operations: Martin Dilan, $27,000

    Assistant Majority Leader for Conference Operations: Neil Breslin, $25,000

    Assistant Majority Leader for House Operations: Bill Stachowski, $25,000

    Chair of the Majority Conference: Ruth Hassel-Thompson, $25,000

    Chair, Majority Program Development Committee: Tom Duane, $25,000

    Majority Whip: Kevin Parker, $22,000

    Vice-Chair of the Majority Conference: Toby Ann Stavisky, $22,000

    Secretary of Majority Conference: Jose Serrano, $22,000

    Deputy Majority Whip: Antoine Thompson, $20,500

    Chair, Majority Steering Committee: Diane Savino, $20,500

    Assistant Majority Whip: Velmanette Montgomery, $19,500

    VP on Urban Policy and Planning (new position): Pedro Espada, no added compensation

    Deputy Majority Leader on Intergovernmental Affairs: Suzi Oppenheimer, no added compensation

    Deputy Majority Leader for Policy: Eric Adams, no added compensation

    Deputy Majority Leader for State/ Federal Relations: John Sampson, no added compensation

    By David King on January 13, 2009, 3:06 pm
    In category: Albany, Eye on Albany, Gotham City | No Comments »

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    Special Elections Deadline at Finance Board
    January 13th, 2009

    The deadline — at 5 p.m. precisely — for candidates in the upcoming special election on Feb. 24th to certify for public financing with the Campaign Finance Board was last night.

    The deadline applies to three races: district 51, formerly Michael McMahon’s seat, district 21, formerly Hiram Monserrate’s seat, and district 32, formerly Joe Addabbo’s seat. Petition filing deadlines for the city’s Board of Election are this Thursday, which will solidify the contenders. Most, if not all, candidates are likely to opt for public financing, so today’s list is unlikely to change.

    Here they are:
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Courtney Gross on January 13, 2009, 10:23 am
    In category: Gotham City, Governing | 3 Comments »

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    Across the Aisle Reform
    January 12th, 2009

    Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith just announced that Republican Sen. John Bonacic and Democratic Sen. David Valesky will co-chair the Senate Committee on Rules and Administrative Reform.

    The committee has 90 days to come up with recommendations. Public hearings will be scheduled across the state to help the committee shape a proposal. Elizabeth Benjamin of the Daily News elaborates on the sorted saga of Senate rules reform here.

    By David King on January 12, 2009, 5:11 pm
    In category: Albany, Gotham City, Governing | No Comments »

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    Priority for the Majority
    January 12th, 2009

    Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith addressed a gathering of Family Planning Advocates this morning and assured them that pro-choice legislation will be a priority for him this year. The advocates and other pro-choice organizations were extremely helpful to the Democrats’ winning the Senate majority last year.

    Smith said the Senate should move to pass the Healthy Teens Act, a bill the Assembly has passed four years in a row to create a grant program to fund medically accurate sex education programs.

    Smith also indicated that he would like the Senate to pass the Reproductive Health Act. This legislation would make the fundamentals of Roe V. Wade part of New York law.

    Although Smith and a number of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate have taken a pro-choice stance, Smith will likely need the help of conservative members of the Democratic majority to pass both bills. Smiths ability to pull together support for these pro-choice measures could be very indicative of the sort of strength Smith has over the majority, and of exactly how unified the Democrats are. Some suspect that gang of three members Sen. Carl Kruger and Sen. Ruben Diaz may not rush to aid Smith in this endeavor. There is talk that Smith may be able to find votes on the Republican side of the Senate.

    By David King on January 12, 2009, 4:28 pm
    In category: Albany, Civil Rights, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Health | 2 Comments »

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    Weiner Lays Out Campaign Strategy
    January 12th, 2009

    <i>From Weiner's policy paper on the middle class: Keys to the City</i>

    From Weiner's policy paper on the middle class: Keys to the City

    The doors to change have swung open in Washington, but remain closed here in the Big Apple, Rep. Anthony Weiner said this morning, while outlining the strategy of his 2009 mayoral campaign.

    A bid that will hinge on the generation of “innovative” ideas — a concept collecting dust under the Bloomberg administration, he said — Weiner’s second bid for the city’s top executive was (almost) accelerated today at a Citizens Union breakfast brief. Though Weiner was highly critical of the current administration and said he would be “well armed” for a Democratic primary campaign against Comptroller William Thompson, he cautioned press and policy wonks that January is not a time for politics, but for policy.

    The congressman said he won’t be campaigning fully until about June, and, for now, he will be concentrating on his job in Washington, representing New York’s ninth congressional district.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Courtney Gross on January 12, 2009, 11:47 am
    In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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    Weekly Web Wrap
    January 9th, 2009

  • Making Central Brooklyn a Net-Zero Carbon District
    (Metropolis Magazine)
  • How About A ZipCar-Like Service for Municipal Employees?
    (DMI Blog)
  • The Green Building Law Three Years Later
    (The Sallan Foundation)
  • Courthouse Cartoons
    (Changing the Court)
  • Affordable Broadband Not in Paterson’s Stimulus Request
    (PULP Blog)
  • Gawker Sells Consumerist to Consumers Union
    (CNET News via NYConvergence)
  • A Profile of Chuck Schumer
    (Atlantic Monthly)
  • Gioia Calls for Midtown Tunnel Bus
    (Cap’n Transit)
  • 2008 Transportation Year In Review
    (Tri-State Transportation Campaign)
  • How Wall Street Bonuses Effect the City’s Economy
    (New Geography)
  • Get Involved – Apply for Your Community Board
    (Campaign for Community-Based Planning)
  • Restoring a Subway Zoetrope
    (Second Avenue Sagas)
  • Co-Op Boards Rethink Sublet Rules Because of Foreclosures
    (Habitat Magazine)
  • Best in Design and Construction 2008
    (Engineering News Record)
  • By Mike Muller on January 9, 2009, 7:23 am
    In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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    What If Your Office was a Park?
    January 9th, 2009

    Technology has enabled workers to collaborate from the far corners of the earth, but face-to-face collaboration is still a necessity. So how can we best facilitate that, and make the experience as welcoming as possible?

    That’s the idea behind Breakout!, the upcoming “festival of mobile co-working.”

    Breakout!, which is planned for the fall, intends to explore that question through a two-week festival of outdoor co-working environments in public places throughout the streets of New York. (The co-working movement is an informal meeting of freelancers who come together to collaborate on new ideas.) It will be part of an exhibition by the Architectural League of New York that will explore the integration of technology into the urban fabric.

    According to their online manifesto-of-sorts, the goal is, “to provoke discussion about how urban designers, architects, freelancers and businesspeople can create public spaces that re-integrate the commercial life of knowledge-based cities into public spaces.”

    The exhibits – which will be “injecting lightweight versions of essential office infrastructure into urban public spaces” – will offer a combination of three elements: online social networking tools, a set of processes and skills to get people collaborating, and “temporary and mobile infrastructure,” such as new types of portable desks and chairs.

    Breakout! doesn’t necessarily see this as a new idea. “If we look back at the city before the office building, the streets were the site of every kind of economic activity,” the online presentation posits. “In the New York of 1900, almost every kind of activity took place in the streets.”

    By Mike Muller on January 9, 2009, 4:02 am
    In category: Arts, Tech, nextNY | No Comments »

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    Campaign Board Won't Speculate
    January 8th, 2009

    The City’s Campaign Finance Board doesn’t deal in hypotheticals, according to its most recent advisory opinion.

    Issued today, the opinion refused to comment on a request from Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., who asked whether he would be able to “unfreeze” a campaign account if a race for higher office opened up after next week’s term limit-inspired deadline.

    Candidates for 2009 must notify the board by Jan. 15 on whether they will continue races for higher office or freeze their accounts until the 2013 contest and seek re-election instead. The shuffle, which we delve into deeply here, is due to the extension of term limits, approved by the City Council in October.

    Because different offices have different contribution and spending limits, the board decided to allow people to freeze their accounts and start new ones if their election plans had changed due to term limits.

    In this case, Vallone had been a candidate for Queens borough president, until it became clear the current occupant, Helen Marshall, would seek a third term. Vallone decided to run for re-election to his Astoria council seat, but, according to the opinion, he wondered if — hypothetically — Marshall decided to drop out, whether he could access his old account and run for higher office.

    The board didn’t bite.
    Read the rest of this entry »

    By Courtney Gross on January 8, 2009, 3:09 pm
    In category: Electoral Politics, Governing, Law, Public Finance | No Comments »

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