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Charter Recommendations
June 24th, 2010

As the city’s Charter Revision Commission winds up its forums on various issues, groups in the city are setting out their views on what the commission might put before the voters. (The forum on land use will take place this evening at the Flushing public library.)

Earlier this week, the Women’s City Club, a long-time civic group, weighed in on two of the biggies — term limits and nonpartisan elections — and came out against both. In a letter to commission chair Matthew Goldstein, club president Ruth Acker said term limits “focus public officials’ attention on short-term results rather than long-range planning and create a musical chairs governmental game where staff and lobbyists wield undue influence.”
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on June 24, 2010, 1:45 pm
In category: City Hall, Gotham City, Governing, Land Use | No Comments »

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Budget on the Brain
June 23rd, 2010

A week to go until the city’s budget deadline.

If this were Albany, that date might be irrelevant.

But here it looks like the City Council and the Bloomberg administration are poised to deliver a $63 billion budget — give or take — on time.

The council’s budget negotiating team is reconvening this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. — yesterday’s session was botched. The council is wrestling with how to keep 50 senior centers and 20 fire companies open — its top priorities this budget season — while also lessening the blow from other social service slashes.

On top of that, Albany threw the adminsitration and the council another curve ball earlier this week when the State Legislature approved a budget extender that cut $300 million in municipal aid to the city. In the mayor’s executive budget, said a spokesperson, the city had expected $150 million in municipal aid funding.

That additional cut will have to come from somewhere.

Senate Democratic majority spokesman Austin Shafran said this morning the Senate is trying to make up for the cut by giving the city more funding through Medicaid or education aid.

“We agreed to accept the governor’s remaining cut,” said Shafran. “What’s being worked out is to make sure the city is not adversely impacted.”

By Courtney Gross on June 23, 2010, 12:48 pm
In category: Albany, City Hall, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Public Finance, nextNY | No Comments »

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Court Rejects Extra Hike in Low Rents
June 22nd, 2010

A New York State appeals court has upheld a lower court decision throwing out a rent increase that applied only to New York City residents paying less than $1,000 in rent.

Appellate Division ruled on a January decision by state Supreme Court Justice Emily Jane Goodman finding that the Rent Guidelines Board overstepped its authority when it levied a minimum increase on people paying low rents who had lived in their apartments for more than six years. In 2008, the board, while hiking rents on regulated apartment by 4.5 percent for one-year leases and 8.5 percent for two-year leases, also established a minimum $45 increase for one-year leases and $85 for two-year leases. As a result, Goodman calculated, one plaintiff in the case against the increase faced a 12 percent rental increase.

Critics termed the minimum increase a “poor tax,” with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn saying it constituted ” a direct attack by the Rent Guidelines Board on low income tenants — the very New Yorkers hit hardest by the current recession.” In September 2008, the Legal Aid Society and Legal Services of New York filed suit against the hike.

At the time of Goodman’s decision, the Times reported that some 300,000 tenants in rent-stabilized apartments could receive rebates and rent reductions if the Rent Guidelines Board order was overturned. Ellen Davidson of the Legal Aid Society estimated the tenants could get a total of $36 million to $100 million in refunds.

The city had appealed Goodman’s ruling.

(Goodman is a regular contributor to Gotham Gazette.)

By Gail Robinson on June 22, 2010, 6:20 pm
In category: Housing, Law | 1 Comment »

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Help Paladino Name His Party
June 22nd, 2010

Feisty Republican gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino may not be able to get on the Republican line this fall so he made his own and he wants your help naming it.

“This new line will help Republican reformers like me and my Lt. Gov. candidate Tom Ognibene and freedom fighters like Gary Berntsen win on Election Day, November 2nd,” said an e-mail from Paladino. Have any good names for a party built on “freedom fighters” and “reformers?” Share them with us… or with the Paladino campaign if you like.

Here is the e-mail from the Paladino campaign soliciting name suggestions and contact information: Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on June 22, 2010, 5:53 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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Housing Works Sues City Over HASA Cuts
June 22nd, 2010

The city’s budget hasn’t even been approved, and they are already in court over it.

Housing Works, which provides housing services to the homeless living with HIV and AIDS, is making good on a promise to sue over cuts to the city’s HIV/AIDS Services Administration. The adminsitration plans to slash 248 caseworkers, which advocates at Housing Works say violates a court order requiring certain case worker to client ratios at the agency.

As part of the cut, the adminsitration has proposed to count caseworkers it contracts with in the mandated ratios. The city says it reduces service redundancies. Advocates charge those caseworkers play a different role than the city’s workers and counting them towards the ratio would be illegal.

“We’ve shown in the past that when they cut HASA our folks suffer tremendously,” said Armen Merjian, a senior staff attorney at Housing Works. “We dont want to wait for further devastating consequences to befall our plaintiffs.”

This statement was e-mailed over from a spokesperson at the Human Resources Administration, which oversees the HIV/AIDS program:

“The Human Resources Administration has received the plaintiffs papers and is in the process of reviewing them. However we do not believe there is any violation of the court order or the local law. Because this is now in active litigation, we will strenuously defend the authority of the Administration.”

The first motion from Housing Works, which was filed in federal court in Brooklyn this morning, is below. The state is also named in the suit.

TRO Brief

By Courtney Gross on June 22, 2010, 5:43 pm
In category: Albany, City Hall, Community Development, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Health, Housing, Land Use, Law, Measuring UP, Public Finance, Social Services, nextNY | No Comments »

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Senate at Work
June 22nd, 2010

Yes, Monday was the last official day of session but your legislators are still at work considering legislation. No, really.

You would think it was an election year or something. Check out all the action here.

Reforms to the juvenile justice system are currently up for debate.

By David King on June 22, 2010, 5:09 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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It's Official: Steel is In
June 22nd, 2010

Robert K. Steel will join the Bloomberg adminsitration as deputy mayor for economic development.

He is the second official with ties to the Bush adminsitration this year to join City Hall. He — like newly-minted Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith – also has ties to Harvard.

Here is the full release from the Bloomberg press shop:

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today appointed former Under Secretary for Domestic Finance at the U.S. Department of Treasury Robert K. Steel as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. From 2006 to 2008, Deputy Mayor Steel served as chief advisor to the Treasury Secretary on financial and economic matters. Prior to that appointment, he spent 28 years at Goldman Sachs, ultimately rising to co-head of the U.S. Equities Division and Vice Chairman of the firm. He later co-founded SeaChange Capital Partners, a national nonprofit that helps nonprofits grow. After leaving the Treasury Department, Deputy Mayor Steel became president and CEO of Wachovia bank, leading its business-saving merger with Wells Fargo. He currently serves as Board chair of the After School Corporation and the Aspen Institute. He advised the Administration in 2006 during the formation of its report on sustaining New York Citys and the USs global competitiveness in financial services. He replaces Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, who is leaving City government to return to the private sector. Joining Mayor Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor Steel in the Blue Room of City Hall for the announcement were outgoing Deputy Mayor Lieber, New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky, City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden, Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero, Small Business Services Commissioner Robert W. Walsh, Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver and Business Integrity Commission Chair Michael Mansfield.
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By Courtney Gross on June 22, 2010, 4:27 pm
In category: Gotham City | 4 Comments »

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Liu Backtracks on Placement Agents
June 22nd, 2010

In February, Comptroller John Liu said he was going to lift the ban on placement agents — middle men (or women) who help orchestrate deals with investment managers for control over city pension funds.

Today, the comptroller changed his mind.

In light of the evolving regulatory environment in Washington and based on our discussions with the Boards of Trustees, we found it appropriate to keep in place the ban on placement agents for private equity, said Liu in a prepared statement.

Though this doesn’t mean the comptroller won’t revisit the issue.

Placement agents were the subject of a couple of nasty scandals across the country — including right here in the Empire State. A ban on the state level has been championed by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

When Liu announced in February he wanted to ease the ban, the New York Times called it a “worrying step backward.”

Today’s reversal was accompanied by a series of new disclosure requirements for those that do business with the city’s pension system — the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) and the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) — valued at $74.5 billion. As part of the announcement, Liu reiterated his commitment to reject campaign contributions from investment managers or their agents seeking to do business or already doing business with the city’s pension funds.

The other requirements, straight from Liu’s press release, are below.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on June 22, 2010, 3:52 pm
In category: Albany, Crime & Safety, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Law, Public Finance, nextNY | No Comments »

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Mother of All Budget Showdowns Possible for Monday
June 22nd, 2010

Gov. David Paterson intends to keep his promise to make his remaining budget proposals part of an emergency extender on Monday if the legislature does not come to a budget agreement before then. Some legislators say they think the process could last through July. Paterson is not having that.

Let me just say, that budget is going to get passed on Monday, Paterson told reporters following a closed-door leaders meeting. “I heard people talk about being here July 4th. If theyd like to be here July 4th, they can come by the mansion. We have a nice fireworks demonstration every year, they can come and watch it. But there will be no discussion of budget on July 4th because it will have already been addressed on June 28th.

By a number of accounts Paterson and the Democratic legislative leaders are around only $600 million apart on a deal.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver isn’t having any of Paterson’s tough talk.

“There is no deadline. The deadline was April 1,” said Silver. ” Obviously we didnt make that deadline. Thats the only deadline I know. Silver says he does not “intend” to have to vote on an emergency budget extender on Monday.

Paterson said he is taking steps in case the legislature votes down his extender–thereby shuttering state government.

By David King on June 22, 2010, 3:49 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Missing the Meeting
June 22nd, 2010

There was a car crash…er leaders meeting in Albany today. All but one of the legislative leaders were joined by Gov. David Paterson at noon to discuss the budget. Democratic Majority Conference Leader John Sampson had a “scheduling snafu” and didn’t make it on time. The leaders reconvened behind closed doors around around 1 p.m., with Sampson.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was optimistic about a budget deal. He said on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being close to a budget deal he puts things around a 3 or a 2. Word from other folks is that budget negotiations are moving forward at a snails pace. Paterson is still claiming he will enact his own budget if a deal is not reached by June 28. Paterson has backed down on such pledges before but lately he has been successful in bullying the legislature.

By David King on June 22, 2010, 2:06 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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The Big Ugly Under Our Noses
June 22nd, 2010

The state legislative session technically ended yesterday and there is still no state budget. Legislators have until Monday to come up with a budget deal. If they don’t, Paterson will complete the budget by sending the rest of his budget plan through as an emergency extender–daring legislators to shut down state government or accept his budget. Gov. David Paterson has shoved a number of revenue raising, and spending reducing legislation through emergency budget extenders but a formal deal is still elusive. But most of the work has already been done.

Yesterday, the Senate passed a number of Paterson’s budget bills that help the city in some ways. The transportation budget bill creates a pilot bus lane camera program on bus rapid transit routs. –it also preserves the program that provides students with free and reduced price Metrocards. On the other hand, the city lost $300 million in municipal aid.

A $1.60 per pack cigarette tax was also approved. The votes in the Senate were extremely close coming down along party lines.

The Post sums up how the budget has been pieced together so far in the emergency budget extenders.

A budget deal is looming. The Republicans and good government groups call it the “Big Ugly.” How much longer will it take before it rears its ugly head?

Stay tuned.

By David King on June 22, 2010, 3:57 am
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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NOW and No-Fault Divorce
June 20th, 2010

The National Organization for Women–New York State will host a press conference tomorrow in Albany at 9 a.m. to try to voice their opposition to no-fault divorce.

New York is currently the only state in the union without no-fault divorce and the Senate recently approved a measure that would change that. NOW opposes the legislation saying “this law will give judges permission to ignore cruel and inhuman treatment as grounds for divorce. Consequently, the moneyed spouse (usually the husband) would have freedom to shelter the marital assets, hire an attorney, and start divorce proceedings before his wife ever suspects what is happening. Pappas said that already judges routinely ignore domestic violence and that this law would rubber stamp the practice.

Proponents of the measure say it is simply common sense and will reduce the damage dealt to children and couples during drawn-out divorce proceedings.

NOW will be joined by a number of other organizations including the Catholic Conference. For more, see the Gazette’s “No-Fault Divorce Creates Strange Bedfellows.”

By David King on June 20, 2010, 11:49 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | 3 Comments »

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Weekly Web Wrap
June 18th, 2010

Made in Brooklyn
(Metropolis)
Lost City Blog Closes Shop
(Lost City)
Investing Fully in the Northeast Corridor
(The Transport Politic)
Northeastern States Submit Joint Planning Application
(Regional Plan Association)
The State’s Housing Slump
(NY Fiscal Watch)
The Pension Stretch
(Citizens Budget Commission)
Absolut Vodka Faces Scrutiny for Brooklyn Blogfest
(PRNewsletter via NYConvergence)
Cartoonist’s Take on Statehouse Shutdown
(Matt Davies)
Free Art Supplies Warehouse
(Core77)
Cleaning Up the Port Authority
(DMI Blog)
Transportation Bills in Albany Crush
(Tri-State Transportation Campaign)
Stakeholders Discuss the Fashion District
(I (Heart) Public Space)
Avoiding Giving Verizon Regulatory Advantages
(PULP Blog)
Governor’s Island: Creating Destination Recreation
(Urban Omnibus)
Obstetricians Fight Midwife Bill
(NY Times)

By Mike Muller on June 18, 2010, 8:47 pm
In category: Gotham City | No Comments »

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Slush Fund Scandal at the Charter Commission
June 17th, 2010

The City Council’s now infamous slush fund scandal got its 15 minutes at the City Charter Revision Commission last night.

Under the headline of government integrity, the commission examined issues of ethics and corruption at the fourth of five issue hearings scheduled before it decides what to put on the ballot this fall. Several attendees suggested the commission examine the council’s distribution of member items — commonly thought of as pork barrell spending and the subject of alleged and confirmed criminal activity at City Hall.

“The issue of council integrity is too important to be left to the current rules or the current speaker,” said Columbia Law Professor Richard Briffault — one of the expert panelists last night. Briffault urged the commission to consider more in depth disclosure of the member items, including all of the connections elected officials have with recipients’ staff.

As part of the discretionary funding process, a council member already has to file a conflicts of interest form disclosing if he or she or their family has any connection to the nonprofit slated to receive funding. Last year, the council gave out $48.8 million in discretionary spending.

This year, Councilmember Larry Seabrook became the second council member to be indicted for money laundering in connection with the council’s discretionary funds. Conferences for his trial start next week.

Former councilmember Miguel Martinez is now serving a five year sentence in federal prison for stealing public funds partly through discretionary items.

After the scandal broke, Council Speaker Christine Quinn implemented a number of reforms to make sure the council funded legitimate nonprofits. She beefed up some of those reforms earlier this year.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on June 17, 2010, 3:28 pm
In category: City Hall, Crime & Safety, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Land Use, Law, Work and Labor, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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WFP Sums Up the State Budget...
June 16th, 2010

With this “quick” survey, which just landed in our inbox:

Hey Courtney,

With just a few days left before the final budget vote, how should Albany solve our state budget crisis?

A.) Fire thousands of teachers

B.) Tax Wall Street bonuses

Thanks for taking a moment to answer.

Bob Master, WFP Chair
Dan Cantor, WFP Executive Director

This is part of their campaign to (as you can see here) push for a tax on Wall Street. The idea has been picked up by the council’s newly minted progressive caucus — many of whom were supported by the Working Families Party last fall.

By Courtney Gross on June 16, 2010, 3:51 pm
In category: Albany, Economy, Education, Electoral Politics, Public Finance, nextNY | 2 Comments »

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Mixed Martial Arts Up For a Vote in Senate (Update)
June 16th, 2010

Sen. Kevin Parker’s bill that would sanction mixed martial arts in New York is up for a vote today. You can watch the debate here. Shows put on by the Ultimate Fighting Championships have been a financial boon to states around the country. Check out the Gazette’s story on MMA here.

Gov. David Paterson supports the measure and says it could bring $2 million into the state’s coffers a year. The Assembly is home to MMA’s greatest opponent–Assemblyman Bob Reilly. MMA is sanctioned in a number of states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

It sounds like the bill will face opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. Both Republican Sen. Frank Padavan and Democratic Sen. Liz Krueger have spoken out against the measure.

Democratic Sen. Jeff Klein is currently speaking for the bill.

Padavan is now debating with Klein whether choking is legal in MMA. Choking is in fact allowed in the sport.

Padavan just said promoters would have the “Thumbs up, or thumbs down thing” if they were allowed. It seems he was referring to having the crowd decide if a defeated fighter lives or dies.

***Update***

After a heated debate the bill passed by a vote of 32 to 24. In a break from Albany tradition the vote was not along party lines.

Before the vote Sen. Diane Savino implied that if MMA is legalized then gladiator fights will soon to follow. She said Romans fed Christians and Jews “to the lions” for entertainment.

“Maybe we will call it a money saver because we won’t have to feed the lions in the zoo,” Savino said.

By David King on June 16, 2010, 2:05 pm
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | 2 Comments »

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Paterson: Budget Deadline is June 28
June 16th, 2010

Gov. David Paterson just announced if the legislature does not reach a budget agreement with him by June 28 then he will enact the rest of the budget through emergency budget extenders. You can watch the legislative leaders react here.

By David King on June 16, 2010, 11:22 am
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Meeting Time!
June 16th, 2010

There is a public leaders meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Capitol Red Room. There has been loads of talk about possible budget process. Gov. David Paterson is scheduled to issue sections of his budget and he wants the legislature to vote on them. Budget sections expected to be included are public safety, economic development, and transportation.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has said his conference will take up the bills. Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson said yesterday that substantial progress has been made in budget negotiations and Paterson may not need to send his bills for a vote.

Paterson has said that he will make the sections part of his emergency budget extenders if the legislature does not pass them this week. It should be an interesting meeting, to say the least. Watch it here.

By David King on June 16, 2010, 9:51 am
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Throwing Women and Children Under the Bus?
June 16th, 2010

National Organization For Women New York State President Marica Pappas is steaming mad that the Senate passed a bill yesterday that would make the state the last state in the country to have no-fault divorce. NOW-NYS issued a press release this morning saying that Pappas decried, “woman senators who danced in the aisle as they threw women and children under the bus.”

According to the statement NOW-NYS opposes the Senate’s no-fault divorce bill because, “NOW maintains that this law will give judges permission to ignore “cruel and inhuman treatment” as grounds for divorce. Consequently, the moneyed spouse (usually the husband) would have freedom to shelter the marital assets, hire an attorney, and start divorce proceedings before his wife ever suspects what is happening. Pappas said that already judges routinely ignore domestic violence and that this law would rubber stamp the practice.”

Pappas also went after Sen. Jose Peralta who won Hiram Monserrate’s seat after he was ousted from the Senate after he faced domestic violence charges.

“It was particularly disappointing to see Senator Jose Peralta (D) side with the No-Fault proponents,” Pappas said in the statement. “Peralta actually won the seat by campaigning as an advocate for victims of domestic violence.”

Here is the release: Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on June 16, 2010, 9:37 am
In category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Potential Successors Have (Much) Smaller Bank Accounts
June 15th, 2010

Three potential mayoral hopefuls in 2013 have far smaller bank accounts than City Hall’s current occupant.

According to financial disclosure forms released by the city Conflicts of Interest Board this morning, Comptroller John Liu, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn didn’t finance trust funds or lease out horses in 2009.

But they aren’t complete penny pinchers either.

In 2009, the comptroller had between $100,000 and $250,000 in mutual funds and between $100,000 and $250,000 in a retirement account. His disclosure form, which a spokesperson said Liu prepared himself, did not include the home he owns in Flushing.

Reports released from other elected officials today included the real estate they owned.

Quinn, on the other hand, rents her primary residence (She does co-own a four-bedroom vacation home on the Jersey shore valued at more than $500,000). In 2009, the speaker’s only source of income was her $112,500 salary at the council and the $28,500 stipend she gets as its leader. She has between $5,000 and $40,000 in a deferred compensation plan and between $5,000 and $40,000 in a retirement account. (All income disclosures at the Conflicts of Interest Board are done in ranges).

Also in 2009, Quinn was paid between $1,000 and $5,000 for a trip to Belfast, Ireland to speak at an awards dinner and meet with public officials. The trip was bankrolled by The Belfast Group.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on June 15, 2010, 6:19 pm
In category: Blogroll, City Hall, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Public Finance, Work and Labor, nextNY | No Comments »

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