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Paterson's Budget Proposal
January 19th, 2010

Gov. David Paterson laid out his 2010-2011 budget proposal this morning. “We cannot keep spending money we do not have,” Paterson said.

Under the plan spending would only increase by .6 percent.

Likely to cause the most outcry is $1 billion in cuts to state school aid grants. Health care funding would be slashed by $1 billion and state agency spending would be reduced by $1 billion.

Aid and Incentives for Municipalities Funding for New York City would be entirely eliminated. The city will lose $301.7 million. Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 19, 2010, 12:31 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | 2 Comments »

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The Battle over the Charter School Cap
January 17th, 2010

Update (Jan. 18): The current version of the legislator’s bill apparently does not limit the number of charter schools in specific communities. The copy below has been updated.

The state’s fevered quest for federal Race to the Top education aid has ignited the always-simmering dispute over charter schools in New York. Yesterday Gov. David Paterson announced he would call the legislature back into session tomorrow evening — Martin Luther King Day — in an effort to get the Senate and Assembly to lift the cap on the number of charter schools in the state from the current 200 to around 460.

The state is nearing the cap as waiting lists for charter schools in many parts of the state grow. But no one thinks pedagogical imperatives dictate working on a holiday to lift the cap.

The calendar does though. Applications for Race to the Top funding are due Tuesday and to qualify for as much as $700 million from the Obama administration, a big fan of charters, the state believes it needs to ease restrictions on charter schools. This even though the pro charter Center for Education Reform has said this state’s laws on charters are, for its perspective, the ninth best in the nation.

As with so much about education, it all comes down to money, and as with so much about Albany it all comes down to politics. Paterson’s statement made that much clear. “As public officials, we have an obligation to put our state in the best position to receive the funding needed to support our schools,”‘ he said. The legislators’ bill, Paterson said, “would harm the state’s chances of winning the funding.” His statement did not address whether having 450 charter schools would — or would not — be good for the state’s kids.

The teachers union has qualms about charter schools, most of which do not employ union teachers, and therefore so do many of their allies in the legislature. At the same time, with an election looming, the legislature does not want to seem to be thumbing its collective noses at $700 million. So rather then simply threatening to vote down — or not consider — lifting the cap, legislative Democrats have offered their own plan.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on January 17, 2010, 10:20 pm
In category: Albany, Education, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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Weekly Web Wrap
January 15th, 2010

Financial Disclosure Changes are Inadequate
(ReformNY)
Brooklyn’s Solar-Powered Car Charging Station
(Freshkills Park Blog)
Megacities Like New York Ready for Electric Cars
(Time)
Cartoonist’s Take on Albany Dysfunction
(Adam Zyglis)
Arguing for Congestion Pricing
(DMI Blog)
Lawmaker’s Collective Amnesia as Transit Cuts Loom
(Streetsblog)
Quinn Says City Must Provide Transit Funds for Students
(Tri-State Transportation Campaign)
Rerouting the V Train to Metropolitan Ave.
(Second Avenue Sagas)
Free E-Waste Pickup Expands to Brooklyn
(Metropolis)
No Guidelines on Environmental Review Consultants
(Atlantic Yards Report)
Is it Green Leasing’s Moment?
(Green Building in Gotham)
AT&T’s 3G Network Upgrade Bypassing City
(All Things Digital via NYConvergence)
A Proposal to Revise Greenhouse Gas Plan’s Spending
(PULP Blog)
Stringer Unveils NYC Food Charter
(Food Systems Network)
How Progressive is the State’s Tax System?
(Citizen’s Budget Commission)

By Mike Muller on January 15, 2010, 4:32 pm
In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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Committees Coming?
January 14th, 2010

The speaker’s office has scheduled a rules committee meeting for Thursday, January 21, meaning those less than official committee assignments are gradually becoming official.

The temporary rules committee will vote on the new committee members and chairs. The committee includes Inez Dickens as chair, Joel Rivera, Leroy Comrie, Lewis Fidler, Thomas White, James Oddo and Speaker Christine Quinn.

This committee selection process isn’t just about what issues are closest to members’ hearts. Some seats become even more competitive because they carry influence (like Land Use or Finance) and serious salary bonuses. Heading up Finance or Land Use means those members get an extra $18,000 every year.

It is still unclear whether the council will even keep all of its committees, given the fiscal crisis. When asked at a press conference earlier this week whether they would all stay, Quinn only said, “Maybe.”

Here are some of the assignments so far, via Azi. If you know of any more, send them our way.

By Courtney Gross on January 14, 2010, 3:11 pm
In category: City Hall, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Public Finance, nextNY | No Comments »

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Krueger Ready to Oust Monserrate
January 14th, 2010

“Senator Monserrate still has a chance to finally do something right for the people of New York and resign, but as that seems unlikely, I am fully prepared to take action and vote for his expulsion,” said Sen. Liz Krueger in a statement.

Krueger was one of the first legislators to call for Sen. Hiram Monserrate to resign following his conviction. Not much has changed now that the special committee has issued a report recommending Monserrate be censured or expelled Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 14, 2010, 1:36 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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Time for the Monserrate Report
January 14th, 2010

The Senate select committee has finally released recommendations on how to properly punish Sen. Hiram Monserrate. Liz Benjamin has the report here. You can watch the committee discuss the report here.

The committee, as previously reported, is recommending Monserrate either be censured or expeled.

The report also recomends that if censured Monserrate should be stripped of his privileges. That means he would lose his seniority, committee positions, and any stipend he receives beyond his normal salary. Not many senators want to see Monserrate censured. Most would like to see him expelled.

If a vote for expulsion was allowed to come to the floor of the Senate it would almost certainly pass with bipartisan support. Its not yet clear that Sen. John Sampson will allow that to happen. Monserrate is already planning a legal battle to keep his seat.

By David King on January 14, 2010, 11:15 am
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Espada Strikes Back
January 13th, 2010

Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada lashed out at Attorney General Andrew Cuomo today following a court filing by the AG’s office this morning pertaining to a nine-month investigation into the senator and his business dealings.

This is nothing new, just an angry, frustrated response by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, whom we have already provided with tens of thousands of documents he has requested, and will continue to do so,” said Espada. “This is an Andrew Cuomo witch-hunt driven by his political ambitions, as evidenced in the fact that our attorneys had to learn of this complaint through the media. This is nothing more than a long-standing pattern and history of Andrew Cuomo running roughshod, whether over H. Carl McCall or David Paterson, and now using me, the states highest- ranking Hispanic elected official, as his personal political piata. I will not be distracted by this and will continue to focus on creating jobs, controlling government spending, providing tax relief, strengthening ethics reform and improving education for our children on behalf of the state’s 19.5 million residents.

Espada made rather brave statements about Cuomo in a 2009 interview with Gotham Gazette.

“I don’t particularly like investigations,” said Espada sitting in the office of his Soundview Health Clinic, “but I think what I would ask for is what Secretary of Labor [Raymond] Donovan asked for when he was found not guilty in the Bronx, and that was, after I’m cleared where do I go to reclaim my good reputation and name?” Espada then answered his own question saying Cuomo should issue written apology–clearing him of all wrongdoing at the end of the investigation.

An apology seems rather unlikely at this point.

By David King on January 13, 2010, 4:54 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Ethics Earlier Than Expected?
January 13th, 2010

There is talk around the capitol that an ethics agreement could be announced this week. It may be a long shot as most legislators have returned to their districts tonight but it is Albany and anything can happen. The official line as of this evening remained “talks are ongoing.”

Negotiations between with the Assembly and Senate Republicans seems to be what has been holding up the announcement of any deal. Democrats would like at least some Republican votes for their reform efforts.

Gov. David Paterson and his “Reform Albany Act” has been left out of negotiations.

By David King on January 13, 2010, 3:14 am
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Censure or Expulsion for Monserrate
January 12th, 2010

A senate special committee will recommend Sen. Hiram Monserrate be expelled or censured according to reports from the Associated Press and New York Times. Monserrate was convicted of misdemeanor assault of his girlfriend in October.

If a measure to expel Monserrate comes to the floor of the Senate it is almost certain it would be approved. But it is not certain that Sen. John Sampson will allow that.

Monserrate has said that he will stay in his seat even if he is expelled.

Marcia Pappas, president of National Organization for Women-NYS, is outraged by what she calls the committee’s “non-decision.”

“Today, 1/12/2010, political expediency took precedence over women’s safety in New York State. The NYS Special Senate Committee called it a “decision,” but in essence it is a choice to leave NY State Senator Hiram Monserrate in his current seat,” said Pappas in a statement.

Pappas is calling on the Senate to expel Monserrate immediately.

Here is a link to the full statement.

By David King on January 12, 2010, 9:04 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Assembly Ready For Race
January 12th, 2010

The Assembly spent the evening conferencing “Race to the Top” legislation. Members say that they have been told they could be called back to Albany later this week to vote on legislation that would qualify New York for millions of dollars in federal education grants. One member said they expected “Race to the Top” legislation to pass with “Assembly tweaks,” and “Assembly logic.” An announcement on ethics reform, they said, is not nearly as close.

By David King on January 12, 2010, 8:18 pm
In category: Albany, Education, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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Schimel Plays Defense on Microstamping
January 12th, 2010

The National Rifle Association held a “Second Amendment Advocacy Day” at the capitol today. Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, addressed a large crowd of supporters. Members met with legislator’s from both houses to lobby on gun rights.

Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, a long-time gun-control advocate, went on the defense trying to make sure the NRA didn’t sway any of her colleagues away from supporting her microstamping legislation. Schimel handed out a fact sheet to legislators to refute the NRA’s take.

Microstamping is a technology that would mark fired bullets with information that would link them back to the gun that discharged them.

Schimel and other legislators like Sen. Eric Schneiderman say the technology should be required for all semi-automatic pistols sold in the state because it would help solve gun crimes. They insist the legislation is not about gun control.

Gun rights advocates say the technology is flawed and expensive and the legislation is a back door to banning semi-automatic weapons.

The legislation passed the Assembly last year but did not make it to a vote in the Senate. Advocates of the legislation hope to see it come to a vote in the Senate this year. They say they think they have the support of both Democrats and Republicans and say want it to come to a vote regardless of whether the support is concrete. Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 12, 2010, 5:43 pm
In category: Albany, Crime & Safety, Eye on Albany | 5 Comments »

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Paterson Urges Action on 'Race to the Top'
January 12th, 2010

Gov. David Paterson is urging the legislature to enact legislation that would help New York qualify for federal Race to the Top education funding.

The deadline for the state to apply for Race to the Top funds, and qualify for up to $700 million in federal education reform grants, is Jan. 19 and the legislature is not scheduled to be back in Albany until that date.

The Times Union reports that unions representing teachers are pushing against passing legislation that would increase the state’s cap on charter schools. Some say increasing the cap will increase the state’s chances of receiving federal funding.

Dan Weiller, spokesman for Speaker Sheldon Silver, said that as of this moment the Assembly is in conference “discussing the Race to the Top issue.”

*Update: “The Senate is working to make sure New York is in the best position in the race to top,” said Austin Shafran, spokesman for the senate majority conference. He said negotiations with the Assembly are ongoing.

Not surprisingly one seems particularly sure any legislation will be voted on before the deadline.

Here is a letter Paterson sent to the legislature urging their action:
January 12, 2010

Dear Members of the Legislature,

The first round deadline in the Race to the Top competition is upon us. It is incumbent upon us as lawmakers to take any and all action necessary to ensure that we are successful in this process that would reap up to $700 million in funds for education. In order for New York to compete for maximum Race to the Top funds, I introduced a bill (Governors Program Bill #214) to address minor provisions of New York law which, if not amended, would negatively impact our application. Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 12, 2010, 4:34 pm
In category: Albany, Education, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Big Tobacco Takes on Council
January 12th, 2010

quinncig

The City Council sent a message to big tobacco this afternoon: put it out.

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Manufacturing Company and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Brands filed a lawsuit against the city in December over a law approved by the City Council last year that bans the sale of flavored tobacco products in the five boroughs.

In response to the suit, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, health care advocates and several members of the City Council gathered at City Hall to let “big tobacco” know they wouldn’t be backing down, settling or negotiating anytime soon.

“What we did was legally right, but, more importantly, it was morally right, and we are not going to let this lawsuit threaten us,” said Quinn, who compared the tobacco product’s packaging to a tube of lip gloss. “Tobacco yet again has shown itself to be nothing but greedy and only interested in hurting the public health of New Yorkers.”

The lawsuit alleges the city overstepped its authority by going further than Congress and the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations. Federal law “does not permit a municipality to impose such sweeping regulation of tobacco products,” the complaint filed by the tobacco companies states.

Just weeks before the City Council approved its law, federal officials approved a ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes. The city then went a step further by banning the sale of chewing tobacco, cigars and cigarillos as well. It is this step big tobacco alleges is unconstitutional.

Health care advocates disagree, arguing Congress’s actions encouraged municipalities to create their own regulations.

Because of the packaging and the location of advertisements in corner stores and bodegas, said city officials, these flavored tobacco products can seem as appealing as candy to young adults and children. The products’ flavors, which range from cookie dough to grape to lemon-lime, don’t help either, they said.

“They have created what appears to be to children a smooth seamless transition from candy to tobacco products,” said Joanne Koldare, director of the NYC Coalition for a Smoke Free City. “But we’re on to them.”
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on January 12, 2010, 1:47 pm
In category: City Hall, Gotham City, Governing, Health, Law, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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The Weprin Seat
January 11th, 2010

The Weprin family game of musical chairs in eastern Queens moved to its next round today as the Queens Democratic Party unanimously nominated David Weprin for the seat from the 24th Assembly District. That post became vacant when Weprin’s brother Mark won election to David’s City Council seat in November.

David had declined to seek re-election to the council in order to run for city comptroller, but lost that race to John Liu. In a statement, David Weprin said his decision not to try to run for a third council term reflected his desire to remain “true to my avid opposition to the relaxation of term limits.

Assuming David Weprin wins the special election on Feb. 9 — probably a pretty safe bet — the Weprins will continue to hold a seat that has been theirs since 1971 when David and Mark’s father, Saul, was elected to the post. Upon his death in 1994, Mark got the nod from the party and the district’s voters.

By Gail Robinson on January 11, 2010, 3:49 pm
In category: Albany, Electoral Politics, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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NOW Attacks Monserrate Committee Hearings
January 11th, 2010

The Senate committee considering the fate of Sen. Hiram Monserrate is scheduled to meet again this evening. The committee was expected to make its recommendations about how or if to punish Monserrate late last year. News about what might be in the committee’s report broke weeks ago but today’s meeting is not expected to produce any major announcement.

Today Marcia Pappas, president of National Organization for Women-NYS, slammed the committee for not being more open and demanded increased transparency.

“The Senate Committee’s perpetual calls for ‘executive sessions’ have shut out both individuals and press interested in the safety of women and girls,” Pappas said in a statement.

“One has to wonder what they fear. This very public issue affects millions of New York’s women and girls. And the ‘top secret’ treatment on these discussions is an affront to every female. Indeed it’s the same-ole, same-ole of which all citizens are extremely tired. The legislature is very far from the transparent government citizens demand; and these closed-door meetings can only lead to more mistrust of our elected officials.”

The handling of the hearings has also annoyed a number of good government groups.

Some legislators are growing increasingly unhappy that Monserrate has yet to be booted from his seat.

By David King on January 11, 2010, 3:17 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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de Blasio's On Board with Salt War
January 11th, 2010

When he agrees, he agrees.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio came out in support of the mayor’s assault on salt today, sticking to the line that he will commend the mayor when he’s right and let him know when he thinks he’s wrong.

Here is de Blasio’s statement:

“The mayor’s salt initiative is an admirable goal towards ensuring that New Yorkers eat healthier. Just as I was proud to support the mayor’s innovative smoking ban, I commend Mayor Bloomberg today for proposing ways to reduce salt in the food we eat. I look forward to working with him to promote this policy and educate New Yorkers about healthy food choices.”

By Courtney Gross on January 11, 2010, 3:09 pm
In category: City Hall, Gotham City | No Comments »

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Weekly Web Wrap
January 8th, 2010

Stuy Town: First Tremor of the Coming Financial Earthquake?
(The Atlantic)
Creating Affordable Housing from Failed Luxury Projects
(The American Prospect)
State Spending Much Higher than National Average
(NY Fiscal Watch)
The City Needs a New Economic Strategy
(Newsweek)
Scientists Target Rocks for Carbon Storage
(The Earth Institute)
Administration Said to Bargain in Bad Faith on Armory
(Bronx News Network)
Smart Meters May Be Vulnerable to Hacking
(PULP Blog)
Cartoonist’s Take on Albany Ethics Reform
(Matt Davies)
184 Kent Open for Business
(Curbed)
Co-ops and Illegal Signage
(Habitat)
The Painful Education of Real Estate Scion Rob Speyer
(Business Week)
How Design Can Help New York
(GOOD via CEOs for Cities)

By Mike Muller on January 8, 2010, 4:23 pm
In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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Batista Schlesinger Departs DMI, Joins Administration
January 8th, 2010

Longtime Drum Major Institute executive director, Andrea Batista Schlesinger, will leave the progressive public policy group to join the Bloomberg administration as senior policy advisor to Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and special assistant to the mayor.

Batista Schlesinger took a leave of absence from the think tank last year to serve as an advisor to the Bloomberg campaign — which came as a surprise to some of the city’s progressives. Batista Schlesinger had previously served as an aid to former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, who ran for mayor in 2005 against Bloomberg.

Now — somewhat less surprisingly — she is making a move to the administration full time.

DMI fellow and former council candidate in the 36th district, Mark Winston Griffith, will be heading up the search for her replacement.

At a recent book release party thrown by the institute, Batista Schlesinger and Bloomberg sat down to discuss how to make the city more sustainable (more on that here). Many of the book’s themes — and DMI’s work in general — focus on social and economic justice issues. With Batista Schlesinger in City Hall, you can imagine many of these same issues will end up on Bloomberg’s third term agenda.

The full release from the institute is after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on January 8, 2010, 10:51 am
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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Silver Reacts
January 6th, 2010

Assembly Speaker Silver’s office issued a lengthy response to Gov. David Paterson’s State of the State address. The statement is a a careful mix of offense and defense.

Silver reacts to Paterson’s pointed speech by insisting that while cuts the budget are necessary, the Assembly plans to be careful about what programs are cut.

“The reality is that more spending cuts will be necessary,” said Silver. “No program or policy will be exempted from consideration. Right now, everything is on the negotiating table. That said, we remain opposed to the idea of balancing the budget by increasing the burden on New Yorks already hard-pressed families. This was the position we took during the recent extraordinary session”

Silver also points out that that Paterson didn’t support his push for public financing of elections earlier this year. “I raised this issue as recently as last spring at a public leaders meeting,” Silver said in the statement. ” I did not have a partner at that meeting. Having said that, I am glad that the governor has now come along and we are happy to work with him and with the Senate to enact public campaign finance legislation this year.”

Full statement after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 6, 2010, 5:46 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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More State of the State Reaction
January 6th, 2010

Reactions to Gov. David Paterson’s second State of the State are plentiful.

Here is video of Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos responding to the speech.

And here are a plethora of responses from state leaders and advocates:

From Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb:

2010 needs to be the Year of Reform fiscal reforms like no new taxes, a property tax and state spending cap and more private sector jobs and governmental reforms such as enacting initiative and referendum, term limits for Leaders and legislators, a Peoples Convention, and the toughest ethics laws in America.

We need reform, but we also need a full court press to fix our economy. As a businessman and an entrepreneur, I believe our most pressing
challenge is getting a comprehensive jobs and economic development program in place to get the thousands of New Yorkers who are out of work, back to work.

At a time when more than 800,000 New Yorkers are unemployed, families pay the second-highest combined state and local taxes in the nation and citizens have lost faith in a state government that has continually broken faith with them, we cannot miss this opportunity to deliver on the unfulfilled promise of reform.

Governor Patersons address sounded an optimistic tone, but what New Yorkers will be looking for, what my Assembly Republican colleagues and I will be waiting for, is an action plan and the follow through needed to deliver on these promises and the change people have been demanding. Many of the things the Governor called for, our Conference has continually taken the lead in advancing.

I want the Governor to succeed. Our Conference wants the Governor to succeed. New York State needs him to succeed. Where we can,
whenever we can, we must work together for real solutions to the real problems confronting New York and end the crisis of confidence plaguing state government. Its time for everyone serving in state government to stop the blame game and partisan finger pointing and decide if they are for reform or not.

From Paterson’s likely opponent Attorney General Andrew Cuomo:

New Yorkers now face great challenges that stem in part from the failure of government to address their needs, as well as past failures to address the excesses of Wall Street. It is now more urgent than ever that we make New York more affordable; restore trust in government by
reforming Albany; create, attract and retain jobs throughout the State; and not forget those in need.

Governor Paterson has properly acknowledged some of these challenges in his State of the State address today. The key now, however, is to get it done. To solve these problems in these times will require sustained effort, seriousness of purpose and the ability to build a coalition for change. Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 6, 2010, 4:42 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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