February 13, 2012 · www.gothamgazette.com

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Judge Sets June 26 Primary
January 27th, 2012

If there wasn’t enough going on regarding redistricting this week the whole sordid affair got a kick in the pants thanks to U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe who has ruled that unless that state takes legislative action all of New York’s future federal non-presidential primaries will be held on the fourth Tuesday of June. Groups in favor of independent redistricting have been concerned for months that Gov. Andrew Cuomo might not want to veto LATFOR’s district lines because it could send things into chaos right before a possible Spring primary. That Spring primary is now a reality barring any action from the legislature. If the legislature does not act New York will have three primary dates: the June primary for House and Senate races, the April Republican Presidential Primary and the September Senate and Assembly Primary.

Sharpe wrote:

“Notwithstanding any current state law or administrative procedure to the contrary, New York shall conduct its 2012 non-presidential federal primary election on a date no later than 35 days prior to the 45-day advance deadline set by the MOVE Act for transmitting ballots to the State’s military and overseas voters, i.e., at least 80 days before the November 6, 2012 federal general election. In 2012, that date shall be June 26, 2012.

In subsequent even-numbered years, New York’s non-presidential federal primary date shall be the fourth Tuesday of June, unless and until New York enacts legislation resetting the non-presidential federal primary election for a date that complies fully with all UOCAVA requirements, and is approved by this court.”

Notwithstanding any current state law or administrative procedure to the contrary, New York shall conduct its 2012 non-presidential federal primary election on a date no later than 35 days prior to the 45-day advance deadline set by the MOVE Act for transmitting ballots to the State’s military and overseas voters, i.e., at least 80 days before the November 6, 2012 federal general election. In 2012, that date shall be June 26, 2012.
In subsequent even-numbered years, New York’s non-presidential federal primary date shall be the fourth Tuesday of June, unless and until New York enacts legislation resetting the non-presidential federal primary election for a date that complies fully with all UOCAVA requirements, and is approved by this court.
By David King on January 27, 2012, 4:53 pm
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany, Law | No Comments »

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McEneny:Cuomo Was the Hold up
January 27th, 2012

LATFOR co chair Assemblyman Jack McEneny told Liz Benjamin of State of Politics last night that LATFOR delayed releasing its lines yesterday by the request of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

You can get the full interview and event timeline over at State of Politics.

As Liz points out–Cuomo spoke to the press earlier in the day and insisted he hand’t seen the lines and was not ready to comment. After the lines were released Cuomo’s spokesperson issued a statement saying that “At first glance,” the Governor would likely veto the lines.

Cuomo has seemingly done his best to avoid actually saying he will veto the lines this year.

Cuomo, when pressed, did state numerous times last year that he would veto unfair lines but he has yet to make a firm public statement this year–redistricting was absolutely absent from his delivered State of the State remarks. It looks like the back-room wrangling for more significant redistricting reform and a constitutional amendment will continue. Meanwhile the public will get a chance to weigh in on LATFOR’s lines at a series of public hearings. The first hearing will take place in Albany on Monday at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday LATFOR will be in the Bronx and Wednesday in Brooklyn. Check out the full schedule here.

By David King on January 27, 2012, 10:21 am
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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McEneny Defends LATFOR
January 26th, 2012

Albany Assemblyman Jack McEneny, who also happens to co-chair LATFOR, issued a statement defending the maps issued today. Maps that the New York Public Interest Research Group called the most gerrymandered in recent history. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would veto these lines if they stay as they are.

Here is McEneny’s statement:

“The Assembly plan released today by the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) is the culmination of a months-long process to reshape New York’s electoral map based on shifts in population that have occurred over the last decade. Our proposal is responsive to the many individuals across the state who offered oral or written testimony to the Task Force.
Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 26, 2012, 5:09 pm
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Cuomo Would Veto Lines
January 26th, 2012

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spokesperson Josh Vlasto says that lines released by LATFOR today are unacceptable.

“At first glance, these lines are simply unacceptable and would be vetoed by the Governor. We need a better process and product.”

Earlier today Cuomo said he would let the process “play out” but apparently the Governor did not like something he saw in these lines.

By David King on January 26, 2012, 4:45 pm
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Dadey Responds to LATFOR's Maps
January 26th, 2012

Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, says he still wants Gov. Andrew Cuomo to veto LATFOR’s district lines, “If fairer lines are not created for 2012  and there is no structural reform.” Gotham Gazette is published by Citizens Union Foundation the sister organization to Citizens Union. Senate Democrats were taken aback by Dadey’s recent interview with Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union where it seemed Dadey was giving Cuomo room not to veto the lines. Dadey told Vielkind: ““A veto is no guarantee that there will be fairer lines for 2012, and we wouldn’t get any structural reform,” he said. “We’ve always wanted the governor to use his veto threat to achieve reform, not to have these lines go into court. What does that get us at the end of the day? It doesn’t get us what we want — structural reform.”

Dadey told me: “I stand by what I said to Jimmy, but we expect if fairer lines are not created for 2012 and there is no structural reform the Governor should keep his veto promise. Citizens Union has always been about structural reform.”

The structural reform would likely be a constitutional amendment for the 2022 redistricting process. I asked Dadey if he would settle for one over the other–just improved 2012 lines or just structural reform and he had this to say:

“I cant imagine a scenario where we don’t get changes in 2012 and structural changes. They go hand in hand.”

Dadey made it clear that he is not happy with LATFOR’s proposed lines.

“What is clear is these maps are gerrymandered. That is what we get  when legislators are left to draw their own districts. It  makes the case of why we need permanent change and why the Governor should use his veto promise to get fair lines.”

Dadey said the Senate’s lines were particularly offensive.

“It is just abhorrent that somehow four Democratic incumbents are being forced into districts in interest of creating opportunity minority districts when nothing has changed on Long Island to create a minority opportunity district.”

By David King on January 26, 2012, 4:30 pm
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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UFO or 63rd Senate Seat?
January 26th, 2012

The 63rd Senate seat created by Senate Republicans looks uncannily to me like the evil Reaper spaceship from the popular Mass Effect video game series. It sweeps down from Montgomery County slices away half of Sen. Neil Breslin’s Albany County district, swallows Green County and its tentacles stab into the top of Ulster.

But I suppose that is a rather insignificant observation when you look at what New York Public Interest Group’s Bill Mahoney has to say about the proposed maps as a whole.He says, the Senate’s maps are, “clearly the most gerrymandered lines in recent New York History.” He provided this statement and statistical breakdown to back up his claim. Check it out. Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 26, 2012, 4:09 pm
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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LATFOR's Maps Are Out
January 26th, 2012

LATFOR has posted their proposed district lines for 2012. Both the Assembly and Senate maps are available here.

Senate Republicans have issued a statement defending their lines and the 63rd Senate District their maps create. Of the 63rd seat the statement says:

” The plan adds a 63rd Senate seat, as required by the formulas under Article III of the State Constitution.  That seat is located in the Capital Region and Upper Hudson Valley, which experienced the largest percentage increase of population growth in the state since the 2000 U.S. census.” This seat is the one that Assemblyman George Amedore is expected to run for.

The statement calls the process by which the lines were created, ” open and transparent.”

Here is the full statement from Senate Republicans: Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on January 26, 2012, 2:18 pm
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Waiting on The Lines
January 26th, 2012

All week LATFOR members have told the press that they should expect the new district lines any day now. In fact Assemblyman Jack McEneny has given a time and date a few times only to have the lines not be made public. The most recent expectation is that the lines will be revealed at 2 p.m..

Assembly members reportedly were emailed their lines late last night. It is unclear when Senate Republicans will reveal their maps. Some details have leaked out and it looks like the maps could be majorly disruptive to a number of upstate incumbents including Sen. Neil Breslin,  Assemblymen Bob Reilly and Jim Tedisco. The Times Union reported that Breslin’s district could be cut in half to create the 63rd Senate seat in an effort to allow Republican Assemblyman (and reality TV star) George Amedore to run for the Senate. Breslin predicted to the Gazette late last year that the lines would be decided in a court battle and that the Giants would win the Super Bowl.

The Republican announcement could be tied to negotiations with Gov. Andrew Cuomo about a constitutional amendment to institute non partisan redistricting for the next go around–in ten years.  One has to wonder if they have waited til Thursday to release the lines, why they wouldn’t just wait until Friday. Friday is always the preferred day to bury unpleasant news.

Sen. Liz Krueger is getting tired of waiting and wants to know what all the secrecy is about. She released this statement: “All this week we’ve seen leaks, rumors, and a tiny trickle of information, some good, some bad, and some very, very ugly. What the public hasn’t seen is the map, even though we all know it exists. Why the holdup? It’s deliberate. The Republicans have been keeping the public in the dark, trying to manage expectations instead of letting New Yorkers see what they’ve cooked up and judge it for what it is.”

By David King on January 26, 2012, 1:22 pm
In category: Albany, Demographics, Eye on Albany | 1 Comment »

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Bloomberg's Record on Poverty
September 22nd, 2011

For many months, the Bloomberg administration has boasted that as poverty rose elsewhere in the country, it remained constant here, thanks in part to his policies.

Unfortunately, he can no longer say that.

New census figures, as reported in the Times this morning, show that poverty rose more rapidly in New York City – by 1.4 percentage points — than in the nation as a whole from 2009 to 2010. This brought the number of people living in poverty in the city to 20.1 percent, the highest level since 2000. Child poverty rose even more – by 3 percentage points – leaving three out of every 10 city children in homes below the poverty level.

A report by Alliance for a Greater New York said the situation may be even worse than those numbers would indicate because of the high cost of living in New York – a luxury brand, as the mayor has called it.

Incomes across the city fell by 5 percent. But some people continue to do very well. In Manhattan – the county in the country with the biggest income gap – the average earning of the top fifth of the population came to $371,754,

While deploring this high level of poverty, advocates quickly responded that the figures only confirm what they see every day – an increasing level of need in the city. More homeless. Longer lines at soup kitchens and food pantries. People desperate for work.

More reaction and a review of Bloomberg administration poverty policies after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on September 22, 2011, 5:05 pm
In category: Demographics, Economy, Gotham City, Public Finance, Social Services | 1 Comment »

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A Poorer State
September 13th, 2011

One in six New York state residents — more than 3 million people — live in poverty, according to statement by theNew York City Coalition Against Hunger on census figures released this morning.

The figure 2009-10 represents an 11 percent increase from 2007-2008, the coalition said. The numbers become particularly striking when one considers just how low an income a family must have to be seen as living in poverty –- less than $18,310 for a family of three.

In its statement, the coalition anticipated a rise in poverty for New York City alone, although it noted those numbers are not yet available. In 2009, more than one in five New York City residents lived in poverty, with experts saying the level would have been higher without the federal economic stimulus program.

While critics have warned of increased need in the city – longer lines at food pantries and the like — the Bloomberg administration has maintained that poverty remained relatively constant during the recession and the weak — if that — recovery.

“To a large degree, economic stimulus programs and policy initiatives aimed at bolstering family income succeeded in preventing a rise in poverty in New York City,” concluded a report issued in March by the mayor’s Center for Economic Opportunity.

What no one can deny, though, is that the disparity in wealth in the city has increased. The wealthiest 1 percent of city residents has 44 percent of all income in New York, nearly four times as much as they did just 30 years ago, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute.

By Gail Robinson on September 13, 2011, 11:58 am
In category: Demographics, Economy, Gotham City, Social Services | 1 Comment »

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Quinn and ICE
August 17th, 2011

Council Speaker Christine Quinn introduced legislation today that would prohibit New York City’s department of corrections from subsidizing the work of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Make the Road New York issued this statement supporting the move:

“The announcement by Speaker Quinn and Council Members Mark-Viverito and Daniel Dromm that the New York City Council will prohibit New York City’s Department of Corrections from subsidizing and supporting the deportation of thousands of non-criminal New Yorkers each year is fantastic news.

Every day New York City benefits from the energy, initiative and hard-work of immigrants. In a city where forty percent of all New Yorkers are immigrants, and for the City to do its job, New York City government must not burn bridges to immigrant communities. Today, New York City is taking a clear stand that it refuses to be in the business of tearing apart of immigrant families and subsidizing the deportation of non-criminal New Yorkers.”

Quinn’s legislation follows Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to pull out of the federal Secure Communities Program and the US government’s insistence that New York legally must take part in the program. Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on August 17, 2011, 1:12 pm
In category: Albany, City Hall, Civil Rights, Crime & Safety, Demographics, Eye on Albany, Immigrants, Work and Labor | 3 Comments »

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Challenging the Census
August 10th, 2011

As expected the city has filed a formal challenge of the Census Bureau’s 2010 count of New York City residents. In its filing, the Bloomberg administration contends the census incorrectly counted as vacant a number of homes in Astoria, Jackson Heights, Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst, which it says “are among the most vibrant areas in New York City.”

In his letter to Census Bureau director Robert Groves, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “It is our expectation that the city’s population could increase by tens of thousands of New Yorkers if the errors … were corrected.” The city does not anticipate a correction would have a major effect on redistricting – or save on of the state’s two lost congressional seats – but it does think a recount could increase the amount of money the city would receive from various aid programs.

Various New York officials issued statements in support of the administration’s effort. Sen. Charles Schumer, for one, called the federal government’s numbers “dead wrong.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand noted that the census found only very modest population growth in Brooklyn and Queens and expressed concern “that this inaccuracy may be the result of the difficulty in ascertaining accurate counts in immigrants communities such as Jackson Heights, Astoria and Sunset Park.”

As Andrew Beveridge wrote in Gotham Gazette this spring, the census found some 246,0000 fewer city residents than the administration had anticipated, and grew by 2.1 percent, not 5.2 percent. The numbers cast cold water on the mayor’s prediction that 9 million people would call New York City home by 2030. In his column Beveridge wrote that, while the mayor’s disappointment is understandable, evidence exists to support the Census Bureau’s count.

By Gail Robinson on August 10, 2011, 3:42 pm
In category: City Hall, Demographics, Gotham City | No Comments »

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Bloomberg and the Achievement Gap
August 4th, 2011

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s announcement earlier today of a major initiative to help young black and Latino men today, includes a big focus on education. Few would debate the wisdom of that.

Bloomberg has long patted himself on the back for narrowing the gap in academic achievement between the city’s white and Asian students on one hand and blacks and Latinos on the other. Today Chancellor Dennis Walcott sounded the theme. “We’ve come a long way in improving achievement for black and Latino young men, helping to narrow the racial gaps in state exams and graduation rates,” he said.

But as Bloomberg basks in praise (and some almost fawning press coverage) for tackling a truly tough issue, his record on ending education disparities is — to put it charitably – mixed.

The mayor noted the city had narrowed the gap in high school graduation rates between the races. And the evidence backs that up. But in myriad other areas — test scores, admission to elite high schools, admission to gifted and talented elementary programs, suspensions — the gap has remained essentially the same or widened under the Bloomberg regime.

Let’s looks at the numbers – after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on August 4, 2011, 3:34 pm
In category: City Hall, Civil Rights, Demographics, Education | 3 Comments »

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New Yorkers Want Wal-Mart (UPDATE)
March 18th, 2011

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Photo (cc) Wal-Mart

Despite fierce opposition from the city’s unions and a majority of the City Council, New Yorkers favor bringing the world’s largest retailer to the five boroughs.

According to a new poll from Quinnipiac University, 57 percent of New York City voters say officials should allow Wal-Mart to open up in the the city, while 36 percent say the retailer should be kept out. If Wal-Mart set up shop in the Big Apple, 68 percent of New York City voters would shop there if it was convenient.

In response to the poll, Steven Restivo, director of community affairs for Wal-Mart, sent over the following statement:

The results affirm what we have been hearing for months: New Yorkers want Walmart. Whether it’s physically leaving the city to shop our stores, responding favorably in polls or just voicing their opinion on Facebook and at neighborhood rallies, city residents show their support for Walmart every day. With too many communities living with double-digit unemployment and limited access to affordable groceries, we continue to evaluate local opportunities that will allow us to do what we do best: open stores, create jobs, stimulate economic development and lower the cost of living for customers.

Mickey Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement: “Voters agree that Walmart can be tough on its employees and on its mom-and-pop competitors, but even voters in union households say 63 – 34 percent they’ll shop there anyway.”

For months – years actually – city officials have been blocking Wal-Mart’s attempt to infiltrate the New York City market. They claim the retailer’s wages are below average, they have a poor record of providing health care and discriminate against certain employees, specifically women. Officials have also said Wal-Mart would drive out New York City’s mom and pop shops.

On the other hand, the five boroughs already is home to Target, Costco, Best Buy and other big-box retailers. We looked into whether there were stark differences between them.

Here is what we found.

UPDATE: Wal-Mart Free NYC sent over this response to today’s poll:

“New York didn’t become great because of Walmart, it became great because of the thousands of small businesses owners who worked hard to make our mom and pops the engine of our economy — the same neighborhood mom and pops that New Yorkers agree Walmart would destroy,” said Eric Koch, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Free NYC

By Courtney Gross on March 18, 2011, 11:28 am
In category: City Hall, Demographics, Economy, Eye Opener, Gotham City, Land Use, Measuring UP, nextNY | No Comments »

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Racial Admissions Gap
February 11th, 2011

The number of black and Hispanic eight graders admitted to the city’s most selective public high schools continues to decline, according to figures just released by the Department of Education.

Only 5 percent of the students offered admission to eight of the city’s specialized high school are black and only 6 percent are Hispanic. These eight schools all chose students entirely on the basis of a test given in the fall. The other specialized high school — LaGuardia, an arts school — is not included in the figures because it selects students on the basis of other criteria, such as an audition.

The percentage of blacks and Hispanics admitted to the eight schools fell by one percentage point from 2010, continuing a recent trend.

At the city’s three oldest specialized high schools –Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech and Stuyvesant– the figures were no better. Blacks accounted for only 4.5 of those offered admission to the schools; Hispanics, 5.5 percent. At Stuyvesant– traditionally the most selective — the numbers are even more jarring: Only 1.2 percent of students offered admission were black and only 1.3 percent Hispanic.

More number crunching after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on February 11, 2011, 2:52 pm
In category: Civil Rights, Demographics, Education, Gotham City | 3 Comments »

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Bloomberg Joins It Gets Better Campaign
January 4th, 2011

The latest in the It Gets Better Project from Hizzoner himself.

By Courtney Gross on January 4, 2011, 5:25 pm
In category: City Hall, Civil Rights, Demographics, Eye Opener, Gotham City, Immigrants, nextNY | No Comments »

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Divide in the Charter Commission?
May 10th, 2010

Some Charter Revision Commission members seemed split this morning over whether the commission could thoroughly vet the more serious issues scheduled for review and still get them on the November ballot.

The commission approved a resolution today outlining five issue areas to explore and scheduled public hearings and expert panels on those specific topics for May and June. The issues include term limits, voter participation (including nonpartisan elections), land use (especially the ULURP process), balance of powers (including the roles of community boards, the borough presidents and the City Council) and fiscal responsibility.

Just before approving the resolution, the Rev. Joseph M. McShane proposed an amendment to require the commission to revisit its timeline before proposing anything for November’s ballot. To get anything on the ballot this fall, the commission would have to solidify its proposals by September.

Commission Chair Matthew Goldstein rejected McShane’s amendment, saying it was already “embedded” in the document. The commission, Goldstein said, will have a deliberative process.

After the meeting, Goldstein told reporters, “I’ve always said that this year was a much better opportunity, because there will be more and more active participation because we’re going to have statewide elections. If I wanted to bring something or we wanted to bring something, it would make a lot of sense not to lose that opportunity. The opportunity cost would be higher.”
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on May 10, 2010, 1:14 pm
In category: Albany, City Hall, Community Development, Demographics, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Land Use, Law, Measuring UP, Public Finance, Waterfront, Work and Labor, nextNY | No Comments »

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Specialized High School Admissions
February 8th, 2010

Some 958 students received the good news last week that they had been admitted to Stuyvesant High School, considered by many to be the city’s best public high school. Only 7 of those proud students are black.

The figures announced Friday represent a continuing decline in the number of black and Hispanic kids admitted to the city’s academically elite schools. Last year, 12 blacks got into Stuyvesant. Seventeen Hispanic students received admission to Stuyvesant this year, compared to 24 a year ago.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on February 8, 2010, 11:32 am
In category: Civil Rights, Demographics, Education, Measuring UP | 1 Comment »

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A Night of Counting
January 26th, 2010

Last night thousands of volunteers scoured the city for men, women and children who call the streets home.

It happens every year since 2003, and it’s called the HOPE Street Survey — or the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate. Volunteers for the city’s Department of Homeless Services tour the five boroughs from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. looking for people living on the streets. The count is supposed to capture an estimate of the city’s homeless population that do not use the shelter system.

Every year, according to the department, the numbers have declined, and since 2005 they have almost been cut in half — from 4,375 to 2,328.

Advocates dispute the study’s findings. Patrick Markee of the Coalition for the Homeless wrote that the survey has “an inherently flawed methodology.” The survey, he continued, fails to count the homeless that are in hard to reach locations and it doesn’t factor in inclement weather.

Last night, for instance, was unseasonably warm.

Either way, we won’t know last night’s results anytime soon. According to the press office at the Department of Homeless Services, the count can take weeks to compile.

For more, listen to this segment from Brian Lehrer this morning.

By Courtney Gross on January 26, 2010, 5:47 pm
In category: City Hall, Demographics, Gotham City, Health, Housing, nextNY | No Comments »

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Immigration's Female Face
July 15th, 2009

This post was filed by Jackie Pearce.

The face of immigration in America is changing, according to experts, advocates and media representatives who gathered at the Ford Foundation auditorium this afternoon. That face, they say, is a woman’s.

The panel discussion focused on a poll recently released by New American Media, which looked at the problems and experiences of the often-silent female immigrant. Women now account for the majority of immigrants coming to the U.S. — 53 percent. Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on July 15, 2009, 5:51 pm
In category: Civil Rights, Demographics, Gotham City, Immigrants, Measuring UP | 2 Comments »

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