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	<title>The Wonkster &#187; Governing</title>
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	<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster</link>
	<description>A blog about the views and spews of editorialists, bloggers and other unsavory opinionated New Yorkers.</description>
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		<title>Cuomo on Bloomberg&#039;s State of the City</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/12/cuomo-on-bloombergs-state-of-the-city/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/12/cuomo-on-bloombergs-state-of-the-city/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:26:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg may not be the best of buds but Cuomo found a lot to like in Bloomberg&#8217;s State of the City message&#8211;especially the parts about education and pension reform. &#8220;I commend Mayor Bloomberg for outlining a positive vision for New York  City&#8217;s future and the most important part [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg may not be the best of buds but Cuomo found a lot to like in Bloomberg&#8217;s State of the City message&#8211;especially the parts about education and pension reform. &#8220;I commend Mayor Bloomberg for outlining a positive vision for New York  City&#8217;s future and the most important part of building that future, our  students. The State and City&#8217;s education system is facing a crisis in  accountability and performance. Our continuing pattern of being number  one in the nation on spending in education and thirty-eighth in  graduation rates hurts our students across the State, including the over  1.1 million public school students in New York City,&#8221; said Cuomo in a statement.</p>
<p>Here is the full statement: <span id="more-10449"></span><br />
&#8220;I commend Mayor Bloomberg for outlining a positive vision for New York City&#8217;s future and the most important part of building that future, our students. The State and City&#8217;s education system is facing a crisis in accountability and performance. Our continuing pattern of being number one in the nation on spending in education and thirty-eighth in graduation rates hurts our students across the State, including the over 1.1 million public school students in New York City.</p>
<p>As I said in my State of the State Address, and Mayor Bloomberg reiterated in his State of the City today, we need an education system that puts students first. Both the Mayor and I agree that this starts with implementing a teacher evaluation system that holds teachers accountable for their performance. I look forward to working together to create an accountability system that puts the interests of students ahead of the interests of the education bureaucracy.</p>
<p>Additionally, I appreciate Mayor Bloomberg&#8217;s support for the much needed reform of our pension system. There is no longer any doubt that we need to reform the pension system by creating a Tier VI and we need to do it now.</p>
<p>I look forward to working with Mayor Bloomberg on these and other issues outlined in his speech today to build a better future for New York City and New York State.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Coalition Wants Corporate Tax Loopholes Closed</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/09/coalition-wants-corporate-tax-loopholes-closed/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/09/coalition-wants-corporate-tax-loopholes-closed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:07:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citizen Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taxes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10431</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In Albany today, a group of progressive groups gathered together to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the legislature to close corporate tax loopholes that they say would raise $1 billion for the state budget this year.  The groups that include various Occupy groups, The Fiscal Policy Institute, Citizen Action and others want the money [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In Albany today, a group of progressive groups gathered together to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the legislature to close corporate tax loopholes that they say would raise $1 billion for the state budget this year.  The groups that include various Occupy groups, The Fiscal Policy Institute, Citizen Action and others want the money gained through the closing of the loop holes to be used to prevent cuts to services and perhaps even make some restorations. The groups provided a list of what they say are the worst &#8220;tax dodging companies&#8221; in the state.</p>
<p>Here is a collection of quotes from the group&#8217;s leaders.<span id="more-10431"></span></p>
<p>&#8220;Last year, Governor Cuomo and the Legislature worked together to make simple, clear changes to the personal income tax code that made it more fair and raised more revenue, while asking a new Tax Reform and Fairness Commission to work on long-term changes. This year, they should do the exact same thing for corporate taxes,&#8221; said Michael Kink, Executive Director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition. &#8220;Our recommendations provide a roadmap for reform:  strong enforcement, real fairness, and new transparency so the public can know what&#8217;s going on. We&#8217;d raise over a billion dollars for this year&#8217;s budget and eliminate the absurd situation where bodegas and car repair shops are paying a higher rate in corporate taxes than Goldman Sachs or Verizon.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The fight for tax fairness is just getting started,&#8221; according to Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness and coordinator of the GrowingTogetherNY coalition. &#8220;Once again all of the coalitions that worked together last year will be coming together to ensure that enforcement, fairness and transparency are part of or corporate tax code and that we restore a fair and level playing field for small businesses in NYS.&#8221;</p>
<p>The plan to reform New York’s corporate tax structure released today focused on three main principles: enforcement, fairness, and transparency. The points of the plan include:</p>
<p>Requiring real estate partnerships to pay the taxes they owe<br />
Reforming New York’s Corporate Alternate Minimum Tax<br />
Taxing nonresident hedge fund management fees<br />
Eliminating the Carried Interest Exemption under New York City’s Unincorporated Business tax<br />
Cracking down on schemes that create “nowhere income”<br />
Requiring public disclosure of corporate tax payments for publicly-traded companies</p>
<p>“New York State’s corporate income taxes have become more and more like Swiss cheese as more and more tax breaks have been added to the tax code in the name of economic development,” said Frank Mauro, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute. “Ironically, beginning in 1994, more tax breaks have been added to the state’s corporate Alternate Minimum Tax, which was established in 1987 to ensure that profitable corporations made at least some contribution to the cost of government services. The result of these developments is that general business corporations have gone from carrying 9.6% of New York State’s tax load in the 1970s to 4.3% last year.”</p>
<p>“New York State should repeal or reform corporate tax breaks that are not creating jobs and not allow tax breaks in the calculation of corporations’ Alternate Minimum Tax obligations,” Mauro added.</p>
<p>The Swiss cheese nature of New York State’s corporate income taxes are also demonstrated by the most recent data on state and local government finances from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The Census Bureau tabulations show that in 2008-09, New York City’s corporate income tax collections were actually greater than New York State’s ($6.03 billion vs. $4.43 billion). And, the collections attributed to the state include the proceeds from the 17 percent surcharge on the portion of corporations’ tax liabilities attributable to activities in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority service area.</p>
<p>“The human services sector appreciates the move toward more fair income and corporate tax systems and continued progress should generate enough revenue to maintain services for New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet. Not only do human services play a critical role in supporting families and removing barriers to work, they also employ 1.25 million throughout the state and purchase over $1 billion in goods and services.” Michael Stoller, Executive Director, Human Services Council.</p>
<p>“Because of our unfair corporate tax structure, New York’s economy continues to be held back,” said Ivette Alfonso, President of Citizen Action of New York. “The need for these reforms is yet another example of the massive influence that big CEO campaign contributors have in our Capitol. We need a tax code set up by, and set up for the 99%.”</p>
<p>&#8220;In schools across the state students have sacrificed college prep courses, reading tutors, arts, sports, music and thousands of teachers,&#8221; said Billy Easton, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education, &#8220;meanwhile we are giving sweetheart tax deals to insurance companies, credit card companies and investment bankers. It&#8217;s just wrong.&#8221;</p>
<p>Mario Cilento, President of the NYS AFL-CIO, said, &#8220;Throughout this budget crisis working men and women have been asked to bear the entire brunt of cost cutting through new pension tiers, higher health premiums and wage freezes. At the same time many corporations fail to even pay the taxes they owe.  We need to close corporate tax loopholes to infuse reoccurring revenue and end the vicious cycle of cuts to middle class families.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Accountability is a two-way street. It isn&#8217;t just for schools,&#8221; said NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta. &#8220;As New York grows its economy and creates jobs &#8212; a goal we all share &#8212; we need business to be accountable, too, and pay its fair share to help pay for the strong schools and colleges; safe bridges and roads; and other vital services that New Yorkers need.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Governor Cuomo and the legislature took action to make personal income tax rates more fair,&#8221; said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers. &#8220;Similar action is needed on corporate tax reform. By eliminating the most glaring corporate tax loopholes New Yorkers would save millions more.&#8221;</p>
<p>“It is outrageous that hard working PEF members pay the same or higher tax rate than New York companies that make up to $33 billion in profits a year. It’s particularly insulting that middle class families are paying the same tax rate as Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation,” said Ken Brynien, President of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF).</p>
<p>“These are the sweetest tax loopholes for Wall Street’s wealthiest hedge fund managers,” said Walter Lipscomb, a board member of Community Voices Heard from Yonkers, “but are just bitter for the working families forced to carry them. Wall Street’s wealthiest need to pay their fair share.”</p>
<p>&#8220;Students across New York are being asked to pay more for access to New York&#8217;s public higher education system, which erodes in quality every year because of massive budget cuts,&#8221; said Angelica Clarke, and organizer with New York Students Rising and Save Our SUNY. &#8220;As students, we demand Governor Cuomo and the legislature initiate a tuition freeze to alleviate some of the burden caused by his regressive tax on students instead of expanding NYSUNY 2020 which allows corporations to continue to take advantage of our public institutions through unequal public-private partnerships. A tuition freeze would provide temporarily relief to working students and families and will be an important first step in protecting access to New York&#8217;s public universities and colleges. If Governor Cuomo truly wants to work in the interest of students, he must join New York Students Rising in our efforts to repeal NYSUNY 2020 and fully fund CUNY and SUNY.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;In New York we have record homelessness &#8211; over 45,000 men, women and children spent last night in New York City shelters or sleeping rough on the streets &#8211; at a government cost of over $1 Billion per year. And yet there is no plan to address this crisis that brings over 110,000 different men, women and children (40,000 of them) into city shelters each year.  The front line services provided by Coalition for the Homeless to prevent and resolve homelessness have suffered years worth of deep cuts &#8211; a million dollars per year in lost services and jobs just for our own organization. The Coalition supports efforts to close corporate tax loopholes to help avoid further cuts and secure the resources we need to we need to rebuild these vital services and reverse course,&#8221; said Shelly Nortz, Deputy Executive Director for Policy with Coalition for the Homeless.</p>
<p>“The fact that all too often powerful corporations are able to wield political influence to create tax loopholes to avoid paying their fair-share is a paradigmatic example of the broader economic and political inequalities that have motivated the Occupy movement,” said Colin Donnaruma of Occupy Albany. “Occupy Albany enthusiastically joins in the efforts to close these loopholes in New York and generate much needed revenue for the 99%.”</p>
<p>“All New Yorkers should pay their fair share, including corporations that benefit greatly from our state’s people and infrastructure,” said Sunshine Ludder, the senior economic policy strategist at the Center for Working Families. “It’s essential for a strong democracy and economy.”</p>
<p>&#8220;Religious communities are called to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe those who would go cold,&#8221; said Sara Niccoli, Co-Director, Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State. &#8220;However, when the richest New Yorkers continue to enjoy unthinkable wealth as the lines for our faith-based feeding programs and shelters just grow longer &#8211; it’s time to call for fundamental change. It’s time for corporations to pay their fair share. We remind our state government: &#8220;No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24.</p>
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		<title>Quinn on Fingerprinting for Food Stamps</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/05/quinn-on-fingerprinting-for-food-stamps/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/05/quinn-on-fingerprinting-for-food-stamps/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:51:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christine Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food stamps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mike bloomberg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10428</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gov. Andrew Cuomo seemingly went after the city&#8217;s policy of fingerprinting people who want access to food stamps in his State of the State Address. The Bloomberg administration has supported the measure as a way to stop fraud and Bloomberg dismissed Cuomo&#8217;s statement in a press conference following the speech. Council Speaker Christine Quinn just [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gov. Andrew Cuomo seemingly went after the city&#8217;s policy of fingerprinting people who want access to food stamps <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/Albany/20120105/204/3664">in his State of the State Address</a>. The Bloomberg administration has supported the measure as a way to stop fraud and Bloomberg dismissed Cuomo&#8217;s statement in a <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/political_news/153641/bloomberg-snipes-at-cuomo-s-food-stamp-proposal">press conference following the speech</a>. Council Speaker Christine Quinn just weighed in via press release and she is taking Cuomo&#8217;s side.</p>
<p>“In these tough economic times, we need to help New Yorkers get the federal services they qualify for, not put obstacles in their way. Unfortunately, Mayor Bloomberg and I couldn’t disagree more — fingerprinting food stamp applicants is a time consuming and unnecessary process, which stigmatizes applicants and has prevented 24,000 New Yorkers from getting the help they deserve.  The State has the authority to eliminate finger imaging in New York City, and the Mayor should not even think of challenging Governor Cuomo’s decision.”</p>
<p>Cuomo said in his State of the State yesterday that, &#8220;One of the things we do now and makes the stigma actually worse and creates a barrier for families coming forward to get food stamps is we require fingerprinting. I&#8217;m saying stop fingerprinting for families,” said Cuomo.</p>
<p>Bloomberg told reporters, &#8220;“It’s not a stigma, and it may be elsewhere in the state, and maybe that’s what he was referring to, but it’s certainly not a stigma.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Rivera Credits OWS For New Thinking on Taxes</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/12/01/rivera-credits-ows-for-cuomos-new-thinking-on-taxes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/12/01/rivera-credits-ows-for-cuomos-new-thinking-on-taxes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:44:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred Dicker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gustavo Rivera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Millionaires Tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Wall Street]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10355</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;I believe Occupy Wall Street changed the national dialogue,&#8221; said Sen. Gustavo Rivera. &#8220;The conversations we were having 6 months ago got no traction. But things have changed because of what the folks at Zuccotti Park Started.&#8221;
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is  considering altering the tax code so [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;I believe Occupy Wall Street changed the national dialogue,&#8221; said Sen. Gustavo Rivera. &#8220;The conversations we were having 6 months ago got no traction. But things have changed because of what the folks at Zuccotti Park Started.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is  considering altering the tax code so that the wealthy would pay more and  the poor would pay less. He was grilled on the subject by NY Post  editor Fred Dicker and Cuomo refused to rule out the possibility of a tax hike for the wealthy.</p>
<p>&#8220;Ive always believed we need a more progressive tax system,&#8221; said Rivera. &#8220;I&#8217;m glad to hear the Cuomo administration seems to be open to it. We have the greatest economic disparity in New York. The economic gap is as bad as it was was in the depression.&#8221;</p>
<p>*Update* Rivera&#8217;s spokesperson says Rivera was speaking about OWS&#8217; impact on the national dialogue and not specifically about Cuomo&#8217;s new thinking on the tax code. However, his response was to a question specifically about Cuomo&#8217;s new thinking.</p>
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		<title>The Races for DA</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/the-races-for-da/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/the-races-for-da/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:58:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bar association of the city of new york]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bronx district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Donovan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Molinaro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mike ryan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[queen district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robert johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state island district attorney]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10306</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Three of New York City&#8217;s five district attorneys are up for re-election this year, but for only one &#8212; Staten Island Daniel Donovan &#8212; is the contest&#8217; outcome in any doubt. 
(For more on who can vote and how this year, go here. For more on the judicial contests, go here.)
Two of the veteran prosecutors, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Three of New York City&#8217;s five district attorneys are up for re-election this year, but for only one &#8212; Staten Island Daniel Donovan &#8212; is the contest&#8217; outcome in any doubt. </p>
<p>(For more on who can vote and how this year, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/">here</a>. For more on the judicial contests, go <a /href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/">here</a>.)</p>
<p>Two of the veteran prosecutors, <a href="http://www.queensda.org/dabiography.html">Richard Brown</a> in Queens and <a href="http://bronxda.nyc.gov/office/biography.htm">Robert Johnson</a> in the Bronx &#8212; will appear on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative lines and will not face any opposition.</p>
<p>Brown, who will turn 79 later this month, is <a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-10-19/Political_Page/DA_Brown_Headed_For_6th_Consecutive_Election_Victo.html"> headed</a> to his sixth-term.</p>
<p>Johnson, who already is in his sixth term, was the first black district attorney in the state. In a somewhat strange twist, he received a rating of &#8220;not approved&#8221; by the city bar association this year. Johnson attributed the rejection to his not agreeing to an interview with the association and said he thinks it make little sense for the group to rate candidates in uncontested elections.</p>
<p>&#8220;If they think that I have not demonstrated the qualifications to hold this office,&#8221; Johnson <a href="http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/New_York/News/2011/10_-_October/City_bar_association_gives_thumbs-down_to_veteran_Bronx_DA/">told Reuters</a>, &#8220;they must have been stuck in a cave for the past two decades.&#8221;</p>
<p>The bar does not explain or amplify on its ratings although they do not endorse candidates they can&#8217;t interview.</p>
<p>The Staten Island race offers a reprise of the 2007race in which Republican <a href=" http://www.dandonovan.org/2011/"> Donovan</a> <a href=" http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/top_stories/150288/district-attorney-candidates-spar-over-staten-island-crime-rate">defeated</a> Democrat <a href=" http://www.mikeryanforda.com/">Mike Ryan</a> with about 70 percent of the vote.  Donovan has the backing of the Independence Party too, while &#8212; perhaps owing to a <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/10/24/si_beep_molinar.php">long-standing rift</a> between Donovan and Conservative Borough president James Molinaro, Ryan has the Conservative Party line.<br />
<span id="more-10306"></span><br />
Donovan, who <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20101021/204/3389">ran unsuccessfully</a> for state attorney general last year, first became Staten Island district attorney in 2004. He previously worked for the Manhattan district attorney and served as deputy borough president in Staten Island.</p>
<p>Ryan, who began his career as a probation officer, served as the city&#8217;s acting deputy criminal justice coordinator and was a commissioner on the Board of Elections. He is currently in private practice.</p>
<p>By most accounts the contest between the two men has been spirited. They have <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/contest_for_staten_island_dist.html">clashed</a> over the borough&#8217;s crime rate, <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/donovans_camp_rips_staten_isla.html">effort to fight prescription drug abuse</a>, the sharp increase in rape in the borough &#8212; which Donovan attributed largely to a rise in statutory rape &#8211; and Ryan&#8217;s conducts as an attorney, in particular his <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/former_bp_guy_molinari_slams_c.html">defense of a woman</a> whose pit bulls killed an elderly man. Donovan has <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/both_candidates_cite_numbers_i.html">cited the relatively low crime rate</a> on the island and his conviction rate, while Ryan has charged him with not taking on touch cases. </p>
<p>Both side have snagged some high profile endorsements. Former mayors Ed Koch and Rudolph Giuliani <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/dan_donovans_the_man_for_rudy.html">back Donovan</a>, as do an <a href=" http://www.dandonovan.org/2011/endorsements">array of law enforcement unions</a> and the <a href=" http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/uft_endorses_donovan_in_staten.html">United Federation of Teachers</a>. Gov Andrew Cuomo is <a href=" http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/gov_andrew_cuomo_endorses_demo.html">supporting Ryan</a> as are a large number of labor unions. </p>
<p>Donovan had a clear lead in fund-raising. Eleven days before the election, he <a href=" http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=C19538&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">reported</a> raising $117,375 and had a closing balance of $194,170.01. Ryan had <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=C85261&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">raised</a> almost $27,000 and had more than $21, 659 on hand.</p>
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		<title>Here Come the Judges</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bar association]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carl landicino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civil court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservative party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gabriel tapalaga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kate christoforatos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york state supreme court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paul atansio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tom long]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10303</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Occupants for 29 seats on the bench in New York City will be selected Tuesday &#8212; at least theoretically. In many cases, though, the primary process and political insiders have filled the posts already &#8212; leaving voters with nothing more than the opportunity to ratify the choice.
All candidates for Manhattan judgeships &#8212; including places of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Occupants for 29 seats on the bench in New York City will be selected Tuesday &#8212; at least theoretically. In many cases, though, the primary process and political insiders have filled the posts already &#8212; leaving voters with nothing more than the opportunity to ratify the choice.</p>
<p>All candidates for Manhattan judgeships &#8212; including places of the state Supreme Court and Civil Court &#8212; face no opposition. All have  the Democratic Party line; a few also have the GOP nod. In no case, though, have the Republicans &#8212; or any other party for that matter &#8212; put forth candidate who is not the Democratic standard bearer. In the one judicial race on Staten Island the sole candidate &#8212; Acting Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7023807">Joseph J. Maltese</a> &#8212; has support from the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Independence parties.</p>
<p>The contested elections come in Brooklyn and Queens. There are no judicial races &#8212; contested or otherwise &#8212; in the Bronx. </p>
<p>(For more on who can vote and how this year, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/">here</a>. For more on the district attorney contest, go <a /href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/">here</a>.)</p>
<p>More on the individual judicial races after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10303"></span></p>
<p>In Queens, 12 candidates are competing for six available state Supreme Court seats. Six of the candidates are Democrats &#8212; Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1486">Janice Taylor</a>, Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7025810">Allan Weiss</a>, Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1436">Rudolph Greco</a>, Acting Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1407">Timothy Dufficy</a>, Acting Supreme Court Justice and Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=8000549">Pam Jackman-Brown</a> and Criminal Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7030007">Ira Margulis</a>. Facing them are six candidates with Republican and Conservative backing: Administrative Law Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/jcec/Bio.php?ID=154">Robert Beltrani</a>, criminal defense attorney <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/jcec/Bio.php?ID=154">Gabriel Tapalaga</a>, Ozone Park attorney <a href="http://www.myspace.com/268930313#!/joseph_kasper">Joseph Kasper</a>, Astoria attorney <a href="http://www.votechristoforatos.com/">Kate Christoforatos</a>, Elmhurst attorney <a href="http://www.florezlaw.com/index.htm">Milton Florez</a> and administrative law judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1245">John Casey</a>. </p>
<p>All the Democratic candidates have been <a href="http://www.abcny.org/media-aamp-publications/press-releases/press-archives-2011/1326-new-york-city-bar-association-rates-general-election-candidates-for-district-attorney-supreme-court-and-civil-court-in-new-york-city">rated as approved</a> by the city bar association. Among the Republicans, though, Christoforatos was the only candidate listed as approved; the others were ranked unapproved, (The bar does not provide any back-up for or explanation of its determinations.)</p>
<p>The Democrats <a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-10-19/Political_Page/DA_Brown_Headed_For_6th_Consecutive_Election_Victo.html"> have an edge</a> in the contests, the Queens Gazette believes, largely because of their advantage in party registration in the borough. In addition, the paper said, &#8220;All six Democrats have won previous elections, five of them for Civil Court judgeships and the sixth for a Housing Court judge’s position, which boosts their favorite status.&#8221;</p>
<p>Democrats currently hold all the Supreme Court seats in Queens, Conservative Party Chairman Tom Long <a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-11-02/Features/Brown_Seeks_Sixth_Straight_Term_On_Tuesday.html">has said</a>.</p>
<p>Fundraising tends to be light for these contests. Most of the candidates had not filed with the state elections boa4rd, meaning they have raised less than $1,000 for their races this year. </p>
<p>One exception was Christoforatos who, in her 11-day pre-general election filing, <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A86329&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011"> reported </a>contributions of $28,520 and $13,740.73 on hand. In addition, Tapalaga <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A86358&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">reported</a> $11,525 in donations and $10,7095.67 on hand.</p>
<p>On the surface at least, the Brooklyn election seems less open.  Six of the candidates &#8212; Associate Appellate Division Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1256">David Freidman</a>; Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1283">Lawrence Knipel</a>; Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7026644">Betsy Barros</a>; <a href="http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Carl_J._Landicino">Carl Landicino</a>, a lawyer for the Brooklyn Democratic Party who <a href="http://www.cityhallnews.com/2011/09/how-a-brooklyn-democratic-functionary-became-a-brooklyn-judge/">reportedly</a> has spent much of his court time trying to knock challengers to the party establishment off the ballot; Acting Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7029688">Rachel Adams</a> and Acting Supreme Court Justice and Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7030078">Johnny Baynes</a> &#8212; have the Democratic and Republican endorsements. All but two of them &#8212; Adams and Knipel &#8212; also have the Conservative Party&#8217;s backing.</p>
<p>Two candidates with just the Conservative Party lines &#8212; attorney <a href="http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Paul_M._Atanasio">Paul Atanasio</a> and <a href="http://www.connorsandsullivan.com/Bio/RenataLandskind.asp">Renata Landskind</a> &#8212; are running, presumably against them. Given the Conservative Party&#8217;s modest membership in Brooklyn &#8212; and the fact that Atanasio and Landskind are the only Brooklyn Supreme Court candidates without bar association approval &#8212; makes the odd against them seem pretty daunting . And Atanasio cannot be helped by his alleged role in the patronage hiring of a project leader on a school construction project. A falling brick from the site killed a 17-year-old girl in 1998, a death a city investigation later <a href=""http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/34/44/all_electiondayprimer_2011_11_04_bk.html">blamed</a> on incompetent contractors, halfway safety measures and laissez-faire supervision.&#8221;</p>
<p>Here, too fundraising seems light. Many candidates reported no activity. Knipel <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A84377&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">reported</a> having about $3,700 in campaign funds on hand. While Adam&#8217;s 11-day <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=A84238&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">pre-general election filing</a> found her $466.18 in the red.</p>
<p>The contest for Civil Court in Brooklyn looks more competitive. Two Democrats &#8212; Sharen Hudson, a court attorney at the <a hrf="http://www.courtinnovation.org/project/red-hook-community-justice-center">Red Hook Community Justice Center</a> who has the <a href="http://www.kensingtonprospect.com/tag/democratic-primary-civil-court-judge">support of the party organization</a>, and Supervising Civil Court Judge <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/applications/judicialdirectory/Bio.php?ID=7029861">Peter Sweeney</a> &#8212; are running against two Republican/Conservatives &#8212; attorney <a href="http://www.nycourtsystem.com/Applications/JCEC2011/Bio2011.php?ID=1417">Joseph Elhilow</a> and lawyer <a href="http://www.rocketlawyer.com/profiles/view-profile-VINCENT+F+MARTUSCIELLO.aspx">Vincent Martusciello</a> &#8212; for two seats. Only Hudson reported campaign finance activity with a <a href="http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/plsql_browser/efs_summary_page?comid_in=C85233&#038;rdate_in=28-OCT-2011&#038;reportid_in=E&#038;eyear_in=2011">negative balance</a> late last month of $672.36.</p>
<p>All of them are approved by the bar association except for Martusciello.</p>
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		<title>A Quiet Election Day</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:39:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bronx district attorney robert johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Donovan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mike ryan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[qeens district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ruben wills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[special election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[staten island district attorney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[uncontested elections]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/10300/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even by the standards of the off-off-year election &#8212; those contests in odd-numbered years when there is no mayoral race &#8212; this is a non-election election year. 
There are no contested races of any kind in the Bronx or Manhattan, according to the Board of Elections&#8217; lists of candidates. In Queens and Brooklyn, the sole [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Even by the standards of the off-off-year election &#8212; those contests in odd-numbered years when there is no mayoral race &#8212; this is a non-election election year. </p>
<p>There are no contested races of any kind in the Bronx or Manhattan, according to the Board of Elections&#8217; <a href=" http://vote.nyc.ny.us/pdf/documents/boe/2011GeneralElection/CandidacyList.pdf">lists of candidates</a>. In Queens and Brooklyn, the sole seats up for grabs are judgeships. Only Staten Island residents will have the chance to vote for or against someone they might actually have heard of: Republican District Attorney <a href="http://www.dandonovan.org/2011/">Daniel Donovan</a>, who faces a challenge from Democrat <a href=" http://www.mikeryanforda.com/">Mike Ryan</a>. It&#8217;s a repeat of their 2007 contest.</p>
<p>(For details on the district attorney race, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/the-races-for-da/">here</a>. For more on the judicial contests, go <a /href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/11/06/here-come-the-judges/">here</a>.)</p>
<p>Sleepy elections occur about once every four years in New York, Unlike the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20071105/200/2339">one in 2007</a>, this year&#8217;s features no ballot measures, fewer contests for the bench and no particularly high profile ones. As is often the case in general elections in New York City, many candidates including those for some important posts face no opposition.</p>
<p>More voting details after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10300"></span></p>
<p>In Queens, for example, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/28">Ruben Wills</a>, a Democrat, faces no opposition for the City Council seat he originally <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20101025/203/3392">won in a special election</a> last fall. Bronx District Attorney <a href="http://bronxda.nyc.gov/office/biography.htm">Robert Johnson</a> has the Republican, Democratic and Conservative party lines in his quest for another term. The Bar Association of the City Of New York <a href="http://www.abcny.org/media-aamp-publications/press-releases/press-archives-2011/1326-new-york-city-bar-association-rates-general-election-candidates-for-district-attorney-supreme-court-and-civil-court-in-new-york-city">lists</a> Johnson as not approved for the post but voters have little choice  &#8212; but he&#8217;s unopposed anyway. So is Queens DA <a href="http://www.queensda.org/dabiography.html">Richard Brown</a>, who is &#8220;approved.&#8221;</p>
<p>For those of you who do plan to vote, polls will be open on Tuesday, as usual, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To find out if you can vote or the location of your poll site, call (toll-free) 866-868-3692.</p>
<p>Going to the Board of Election <a href="http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm">poll site locator</a>, will not only enable you to find out where to vote but – for the first time – will also provide a sample ballot for your area. (Note you will see a sample ballot – and can even vote – if all candidates running from your area are unopposed. You may decide it&#8217;s not worth the trouble, though.)</p>
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		<title>Fred Dicker&#039;s Evolving View of Occupy Albany</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/fred-dickers-evolving-view-of-occupy-albany/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/fred-dickers-evolving-view-of-occupy-albany/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:46:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred Dicker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NY Post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Albany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In his column this morning NY Post&#8217;s Fred Dicker described Occupy Albany protesters as &#8220;200 mainly young, hippie-like demonstrators,&#8221; but only hours later his view of the group seems to have changed. Dicker, who has acted as a one-man cheer leading squad for Gov. Andrew Cuomo now seems to view the people who are running [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In his <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/is-cuomo-overreacting-to-occupy-albany/">column this morning</a> NY Post&#8217;s Fred Dicker described Occupy Albany protesters as &#8220;200 mainly young, hippie-like demonstrators,&#8221; but only hours later his view of the group seems to have changed. Dicker, who has acted as a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110308/204/3482">one-man cheer leading squad</a> for Gov. Andrew Cuomo now seems to view the people who are running the group as wealthy &#8220;trust-fund baby type people&#8221; who are &#8220;slender&#8221; and &#8220;well-dressed.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Albany County District Attorney seems less concerned about the protesters and what they look like&#8211;he has informed law enforcement officials that he <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/soares-on-occupy-albany/">does not plan to prosecute any peaceful protesters</a> &#8211;despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s push to have them arrested for violating a city curfew.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Occupy Albany seems to be <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/occupy-albany-set-to-expand/">emboldened</a> and <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/84676/is-occupy-albany-about-cuomo-is-it-now/">driven</a> now that Cuomo has taken notice of them and is annoyed by their presence.  A rally involving groups that support the millionaires tax is <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/84676/is-occupy-albany-about-cuomo-is-it-now/">planned for Thursday</a>.</p>
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		<title>Former Bloomberg Aide Found Guilty of Larceny</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/21/former-bloomberg-aide-found-guilty-of-larceny/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/21/former-bloomberg-aide-found-guilty-of-larceny/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:01:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[independence party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[john haggerty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10209</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[John Haggerty, the political consultant charged with stealing millions from Mayor Michael Bloomberg&#8217;s campaign, was found guilty of grand larceny in the second degree and his company was found guilty of money laundering in the second degree.
Haggerty avoided the more serious charge of larceny in the first degree. Haggerty was accused of funneling $1.2 million [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>John Haggerty, the political consultant charged with stealing millions from Mayor Michael Bloomberg&#8217;s campaign, was <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/149390/former-bloomberg-aide-found-guilty-of-stealing-campaign-funds">found guilty</a> of grand larceny in the second degree and his company was found guilty of money laundering in the second degree.</p>
<p>Haggerty <a href="http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/10/haggerty-found-guilty-of-larceny-money-laundering/">avoided the more serious charge</a> of larceny in the first degree. Haggerty was accused of funneling $1.2 million of campaign cash through the Independence Party to strengthen ballot security but instead used $1.1 million of the money to buy a house.</p>
<p>Bloomberg had to testify on the stand and Haggerty&#8217;s lawyers claimed Bloomberg lied and that Haggerty was paid for the work he had completed. Haggerty could face 15 years in prison.</p>
<p>The case is seen as a major victory for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance whose office has suffered major public defeats this year.</p>
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		<title>Bloomberg&#039;s Technology Pit</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/29/bloombergs-technology-pit/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/29/bloombergs-technology-pit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:24:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10177</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Another day, another disturbing revelation about the city&#8217;s handling of its technology contracts.
This time it&#8217;s the latest chapter in the scandal involving computers at the Department of Education. The company the department paid $75 million to do technical work on its purchasing, payroll and finance systems – Future Technology Associates &#8212;  bilked the city [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Another day, another disturbing revelation about the city&#8217;s handling of its technology contracts.</p>
<p>This time it&#8217;s the latest chapter in the scandal involving computers at the Department of Education. The company the department paid $75 million to do technical work on its purchasing, payroll and finance systems – <a href="http://www.fta-llc.com/main/Index.aspx">Future Technology Associates</a> &#8212;  <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204138204576599404035575830.html">bilked the city</a> out of at least $6.5 million, according to a <a href="http://www.nycsci.org/reports/09-11%20FTA%20Report%20letter.pdf">report</a> by Richard Condon, the city&#8217;s special commissioner of investigation.</p>
<p>Among other things, Future Tech set up shell companies and then vastly inflated its claims of how much those companies charged. So the Department of Education was being charged between $55 and $110 an hour for work that actually cost Future Tec $10 to $14 an hour.</p>
<p>Concerns about Future Technology have been circulating for some time.</p>
<p>According to a letter-report from the city comptroller&#8217;s Bureau of Audit, given to Gotham Gazette today (posted <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/pdf/futuretechassociates.pdf">here</a>), in 2005 the department submitted a request that Future Tech get a no-bid contract. (No-bid contracts at the Department of Education have <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/05/19/a-lesson-in-school-contracts/">raised concerns</a> in the past.) &#8220;This request appears to have contained inaccurate and misleading statements from FTA, which, if DOE had known, should have precluded FTA from being awarded this contract,&#8221; says the report from the comptroller&#8217;s office, which went to  Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Condon&#8217;s office.<br />
<span id="more-10177"></span></p>
<p>The executive director of the department&#8217;s Division of Finance &#8220;provided an unsupportable vote of confidence for FTA, indicating that it had the ability and integrity to provide the specific services,&#8217; the letter report by Deputy Comptroller Tina Kim says. But, it continues, the department did not do proper research, which would have shown FTA was a new company with &#8220;no prior business record by which it could be judged.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition, the reports says, the city did not follow standard business practice in letting Future Tech use Tier Technology employees who were then working as consultants at the Department of Education. And it found Future Tech did not submit time sheets as required by the agreement between the company and the city. Because of this, Kim writes, &#8220;we could not verify that time records were accurate and concluded that time records totaling $1.7 million (pertaining only to billing invoices provided) were paid in contravention of the board&#8217;s stated policy.&#8221;</p>
<p>All of this becomes less surprising than it might otherwise be when one learns, as Juan Gonzalez of the Daily News <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/09/29/2011-09-29_alleged_massive_fraud_by_future_technology_associates_was_like_taking_millions_f.html">reminded</a> readers today, that the chief of financial operations during this time was one Judith Hederman, who, investigators say, was romantically involved with Jonathan Krohe, one of the two owners of Future Tech. Investigators in Condon&#8217;s office believe that Hederman tipped off Krohe whenever the department seemed to be having doubts about the cost of the project. </p>
<p>Hederman <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/05/13/2011-05-13_education_dept_official_who_oversaw_43m_contract_resigns_amid_corruption_investi.html">resigned</a> in May.</p>
<p>But Hederman, Gonzalez notes, was not the only department of education official involved with Future Tech. Vincent Giordano, now retired, reportedly engineered the no-bid contract. And when Gonzalez first questioned what Future Tech was up to – noting the company had not track record or even, apparently, an office, Photeine Anagnostopoulos, who was the Department of Education&#8217;s chief of operations, defended the company&#8217;s arrangement with the city. &#8220;Their rates are better than competitive,&#8221; she told the reporter. &#8220;You don&#8217;t have to bid every plumbing job in your house because you know what [the] rates are.</p>
<p>Anagnostopoulos <a href=" http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/01/22/2011-01-22_2nd_school_deputy_chancellor_resigns_since_black_hire.html">resigned</a> last year, the day after Cathie Black was appointed chancellor. </p>
<p>Condon has referred his findings to prosecutors. </p>
<p>Prosecutors have already turned their attention to another city technology project, the CityTime computerized timekeeping system for city employees. Last December, federal prosecutor <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/computing/it/nyc-bigtime-citytime-fraud-charges-ripples-on">charged</a> four consultants to the city with operating a fraudulent scheme that ended up bilking the city of $80 million as CityTime&#8217;s cost soared by more than tenfold. </p>
<p>And this summer, they added to the list, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/nyregion/criticism-for-citytime-project-grows-as-a-manager-is-arrested.html?_r=1">charging</a> an executive with <a href=" http://www.saic.com/">Science Applications International Corp.</a>, which oversaw CityTime, with taking more than $5 million in kickbacks. </p>
<p>Only a few days before, discussing CityTime on his radio show, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, &#8220;We actually did a pretty good job here, in retrospect.”</p>
<p>And there may be further problems on the horizon. Last week, the Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/nyregion/bloombergs-computer-project-for-personnel-data-leads-to-waste.html?scp=2&#038;sq=techology%20city%20bloomberg%20adninistration&#038;st=cse">reported</a> that a $66 million project to computerize city personnel information had already mushroomed to cost $363 million and, according to the Times, &#8220;the work is far from done.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;It was a runaway project,&#8221; Raj Agarwal, the city official who once tried to mange it, told the paper. </p>
<p>And in this case, too, there were warning signs about the New York City Automated Personnel System or Nycaps. In March 2003, the administration&#8217;s own contract monitors warned, &#8220;No sense of economy, efficiency or value is evident in any area of the project,”</p>
<p>On Monday, the City Council <a href=" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/nyregion/city-council-to-investigate-bloombergs-personnel-project.html?scp=1&#038;sq=technology%20city%20council&#038;st=cse">announced</a> it would investigate cost overruns on the project, and a number of officials expressed dismay that a major technology project had once again been over budget and underperforming. In additional to probing Nycaps, the council will reportedly consider a bill that would require the administration to tell City Council when a project is over budget – and explain why.</p>
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		<title>Discussing Cuomo&#039;s Glow</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/28/discussing-cuomos-glow/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/28/discussing-cuomos-glow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:45:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fracking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gov. cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hydraulic fracturing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[liz benjamin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[redistricting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wayne barrett]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even on a day a public employee union dealt him a serious setback few would deny that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has emerged as an exceedingly adroit politician. And none of members of a panel on Cuomo and the Media at the New School last night even tried to.
If their assessments of the governor varied at [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Even on a day a public employee union <a href=" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/nyregion/public-employees-federation-rejects-albany-contract.html?_r=1&#038;ref=nyregion">dealt him a serious setback</a> few would deny that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has emerged as an exceedingly adroit politician. And none of members of a panel on <a href=" http://www.newschool.edu/eventDetail.aspx?id=69524">Cuomo and the Media</a> at the New School last night even tried to.</p>
<p>If their assessments of the governor varied at all, they ranged from skilled to brilliant. And the four reporters, joined by one pollster, did differ on how long the governor could keep his glow.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is an administration incredibly interested in managing their message. They are enormously good at it. They are artists,&#8221; Liz Benjamin of <a href="http://www.capitaltonight.com/stateofpolitics/">State of Politics</a> and the evening&#8217;s moderator said, setting the tone from the get-go.</p>
<p>To control his image and his message, the governor and his minions call and lobby reporters ceaselessly but rarely publicly. &#8220;He almost never goes on the record in a free setting,&#8221; said the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>&#8216; Nick Confessore.</p>
<p>The panelists seemed almost in awe of Cuomo&#8217;s skills &#8212; his ability to listen to people and engage with them, his focus on two or three key things and skill at avoiding distractions, his hard work, his smarts, his ease with &#8220;working a room.&#8221; (Panelists declined to discuss his capacity observed on at a lake in the Adirondacks last month, to walk on water)</p>
<p>&#8220;His job is to manage his positive image, and he&#8217;s doing an excellent job,&#8221; said Steve Greenberg, pollster with the <a href="http://www.siena.edu/sri">Siena Research Institute</a>.</p>
<p>So will his star ever fade?</p>
<p>Possible answers after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10170"></span><br />
Not necessarily.</p>
<p>Noting that Cuomo had managed to achieve huge –- over 70 percent – -approval ratings in grim fiscal times, Greenberg said he saw &#8220;nothing on the horizon&#8221; that could touch him.</p>
<p>Others had doubts. Wayne Barrett, formerly of the Village Voice and now with the <a href="http://www.siena.edu/sri">Nation Institute</a>, said thinks redistricting could trip Cuomo up. Redistricting, he said, &#8220;is the test of whether there&#8217;s some moral fiber to Andrew Cuomo.&#8221; (For more on where that stands – and speculation about what Cuomo might do – see <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110928/204/3612">Groups Split, Rumor Fly as Redistricting Reform Remains Elusive</a>.)</p>
<p><a href="http://nyspublicradio.org/">New York State  Public Radio</a>&#8217;s Karen DeWitt offered the continuing bad economy as a hazard.  Confessor wondered about possible service cuts and what would happen when (this is Albany we&#8217;re talking about so you can&#8217;t say if) a legislator is indicted – despite the passage of <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110606/204/3538">Cuomo&#8217;s ethics bill</a>.</p>
<p>While not debating the importance of such matters, Greenberg thought many voters really would not care – not enough, anyway, to tarnish Cuomo. &#8220;The public doesn&#8217;t pay attention the way I and the folks on this panel pay attention to these issues,&#8221; Greenberg said. &#8220;The governor is a great reader of polls. He&#8217;s going to know what the public cares about and focus on those issues.&#8221;</p>
<p>Greenberg even felt Cuomo could renege on his promise to veto the redistricting plan and survive. &#8220;If he wants to do it,&#8221; the pollster said, &#8220;there will be plenty of wiggle room, and he will not pay a serious price..&#8221;</p>
<p>But even Greenberg thought one issue the governor might not be able to finesse is whether to <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110421/204/3513">allow drilling for natural gas</a> using a hydraulic fracturing or fracking in parts of the state.</p>
<p>&#8220;People feel incredibly passionate about this,&#8221; Benjamin said, adding that no matter what the governor does lots of people on one side or the other &#8220;are going to be pissed.&#8221; </p>
<p>Greenberg agreed. &#8220;this is a losing issue for the governor either way.&#8221;</p>
<p>But given his political skills and the lack of much credible opposition, things look pretty good for the governor. Barrett said, &#8220;Andy can be governor as long as he wants to be&#8221; – or, some might add, until he wants a bigger job  &#8212; and that might present a challenge. </p>
<p>&#8220;A great moral issue of our time is whether you’re willing to tax rich people,&#8221; Barrett said, &#8220;and if you&#8217;re not willing to tax rich people, you’re not going to be the Democratic nominee in 2016.&#8221; </p>
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		<title>Cuomo&#039;s Hurricane Schedule</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/02/cuomos-hurricane-schedule/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/02/cuomos-hurricane-schedule/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:46:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Irene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transparency]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10031</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union writes today about how Gov. Andrew Cuomo has used the power of the governorship to respond to the crisis caused by hurricane Irene. Cuomo has dashed across the state via helicopter, plane, car etc. from one town to another.
Just as stunning as his use of power was his office&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union <a href="http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Cuomo-displays-mastery-as-governor-during-Irene-2152068.php">writes today</a> about how Gov. Andrew Cuomo has used the power of the governorship to respond to the crisis caused by hurricane Irene. Cuomo has dashed across the state via helicopter, plane, car etc. from one town to another.</p>
<p>Just as stunning as his use of power was his office&#8217;s sudden use of transparency. His press office has helpfully alerted reporters not only to exactly when and where Cuomo was going to be but which public officials would be with him and who he would  speak with. For some reporters and good government advocates, this has been a refreshing change.</p>
<p>During his campaign last year Cuomo promised that he would make his work schedule public with details such as which legislators and lobbyists he met with.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mr. Cuomo, whose aides told one newspaper last week that his office had not kept a formal detailed schedule during Mr. Cuomo&#8217;s first two years as attorney general, pledged if elected to post his entire work schedule online, including meetings with lawmakers and lobbyists,&#8221; the Times wrote after an interview with Cuomo in October 2010.</p>
<p>But it is hard to say that Cuomo has lived up to that promise. The Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/nyregion/cuomo-triumphs-by-courting-the-capitol-he-ran-against.html?_r=2&amp;ref=nicholasconfessore&amp;pagewanted=all">says he hasn&#8217;t.</a> In that same article they note that Cuomo used his finesse to court lawmakers to &#8220;tame Albany.&#8221;<span id="more-10031"></span></p>
<p>During the legislative session Cuomo preferred holding impromptu press gaggles in the hall outside his office rather than having traditional press conferences in the Red Room. While that might seem more open, it led to less organization and reporters shouting over each other before Cuomo eventually decided he had his fill of questions and walked away.</p>
<p>Reporters and the public certainly were not given any public details of Cuomo&#8217;s  meetings. As was the case under previous governors, budget negotiations took place in secret. The Cuomo administration, like its predecessors, provided no details . And Cuomo&#8217;s office obviously did not make public which lawmakers Cuomo was courting on the vote for gay marriage. Certain Albany realities may have stopped Cuomo from making his schedule public, but other lawmakers have made the pledge to do so and kept it.</p>
<p>Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for one made a similar promise when she was in the House of Representatives and has pretty well kept it in her new position. Her <a href="http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/schedule/">website lists</a> public meetings, staff conferences and calls with officials.</p>
<p>Cuomo&#8217;s office on the other hand typically releases alerts saying Cuomo &#8220;will be in Albany and Westchester&#8221; &#8212; leaving reporters wondering where Cuomo might pop up.</p>
<p>Perhaps the transparency Cuomo&#8217;s office developed during the response to Irene will continue into the next legislative session &#8211;although today Cuomo is back to being in Westchester and New York City with no public schedule. Maybe it&#8217;s just a Labor Day weekend thing.</p>
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		<title>Cuomo Asks Obama to Expedite Major Disaster Declaration</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/30/cuomo-asks-obama-to-expedite-major-disaster-declaration/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/30/cuomo-asks-obama-to-expedite-major-disaster-declaration/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:25:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10020</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The city may have been spared by hurricane Irene but a good swath of upstate New York has been left underwater, without power and waiting for the minute they can turn their sump pumps on to drain their basements.
Dams are being monitored across upstate, bridges closed for inspection, roads destroyed and homes washed away.
Just across [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The city may have been spared by hurricane Irene but a good swath of upstate New York has been left underwater, without power and waiting for the minute they can turn their sump pumps on to drain their basements.</p>
<p>Dams are being monitored across upstate, bridges closed for inspection, roads destroyed and homes washed away.</p>
<p>Just across the river from Albany in Troy mudslides have destroyed homes and local BBQ joint Dinosaur Barbeque even had a yacht practically sitting on it thanks to the rain-water swelled tides of the Hudson River.</p>
<p>Cuomo has been out and about&#8211;taking reporters on tours of the damage&#8211;talking about federal disaster relief and being much more accessible than normal and now he is asking the Obama Administration to expedite its declaration of a major disaster so that communities will be reimbursed for the recovery from the hurricane. Here is the release from Cuomo&#8217;s office and the letter he sent to Pres. Barack Obama.  <span id="more-10020"></span></p>
<p>GOVERNOR CUOMO REQUESTS EXPEDITED FEDERAL MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION FOR NEW YORK STATE</p>
<p>Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today formally requested an expedited major disaster declaration from the federal government.</p>
<p>The public assistance would reimburse communities for the costs incurred for debris removal and emergency protective actions taken in response to Hurricane Irene.</p>
<p>The Individual Assistance program would provide the following aid to homeowners, renters and small businesses: the Individuals and Households Program, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, USDA food coupons and distribution, USDA food commodities, Disaster Legal Services, the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Small Business Administration disaster loans. The Governor is also statewide seeking implementation of FEMA&#8217;s Hazard Mitigation program.</p>
<p>Governor Cuomo&#8217;s letter to President Obama is below:</p>
<p>Dear Mr. President:</p>
<p>Under the provisions of Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR §§ 206.36, I request that you declare an Expedited Major Disaster for the State of New York as a result of Hurricane Irene that began impacting the state on August 27, 2011 and continues.</p>
<p>As of today, at least 26 counties in New York continue to see devastating effects from Hurricane Irene including flooding, power outages, road and bridge closures, and infrastructure damages. Those counties include: Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington and Westchester.</p>
<p>At least six confirmed fatalities have occurred statewide due to Hurricane Irene. Areas within these counties are experiencing record flooding because of torrential rains and storm surge. Other rivers such as the Hudson and Mohawk, and the Schoharie Creek continue to impact communities. At least four towns and villages are or were underwater: Fleischmanns, Margaretville, Prattsville and Windham. Also, towns of Middleburgh and Schoharie were completely inundated and underwater with the Middleburgh High School being completely destroyed.</p>
<p>Several dams are being monitored due to rising water levels and two dams had previously been classified as being close to failure. Evacuations occurred in communities and villages that may be affected by these potential failures.</p>
<p>The State of New York continues to try to assist shelters in areas that are isolated because of flooded roadways. Officials are air lifting supplies into isolated areas to continue ongoing shelter operations. NYS Department of Transportation is reporting that some areas are inaccessible for assessment and may remain so for the immediate future.</p>
<p>The State Office of Emergency Management’s Region II office in Poughkeepsie was completely flooded requiring an evacuation of the regional operations center.</p>
<p>In response to Hurricane Irene, I have exercised all State resources, including using the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to use resources from the following states: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington.</p>
<p>In response to the situation, I have taken appropriate action under State law and, on August 25, 2011, directed the execution of the New York State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan in accordance with New York State law and section 401 of the Stafford Act:</p>
<p>I declared a State of Emergency on August 25, 2011 for Hurricane Irene, to assist local governments with evacuations of threatened populations and to help provide State resources to local governments that would be unable to respond adequately due to the size and magnitude of this storm system. The State of Emergency specifically cited Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk counties and other contiguous areas. However, Hurricane Irene has impacted at least 24 counties where life-saving measures have been taking place for a minimum of three days.</p>
<p>The New York State Standard Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved by FEMA on January 4, 2011.</p>
<p>Preliminary damage assessments are impossible to perform at this time in these counties due to ongoing life-saving response activities and due to both State and local resources being overwhelmed. I have, however, flown over these areas and saw hundreds of private homes either destroyed or with major damage and an enormous amount of public infrastructure damage that far surpasses the State of New York’s threshold of $25 million. I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary. I am specifically requesting:</p>
<p>· Public Assistance for Categories A &#8211; G for the following counties: Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington, and Westchester.<br />
· Individual Assistance including the Individuals and Households Program, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, USDA food coupons and distribution, USDA food commodities, Disaster Legal Services, the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Small Business Administration disaster loans for Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington, and Westchester.<br />
· Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide.</p>
<p>Additional counties may be added to the above requests if assessments show necessary.</p>
<p>Below is a summary of state and local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of this disaster:</p>
<p>· State search and rescue efforts have occurred and are continuing throughout parts of Albany, Delaware, Greene, Rockland, Schoharie, Ulster and Westchester counties. Swift water rescue missions continue in towns and villages that are underwater.<br />
· FEMA staff is working with New York State and local personnel to provide critical shelter commodities. More than 70 known shelters remain open statewide with more than 4,800 occupants. Several shelters are isolated because of flood waters and cannot be reached to provide critical supplies such as food and water.<br />
· The New York State Emergency Support Function #3 has worked major dam concerns through the past 24 hours including the possible overflow/compromise of the Gilboa Dam, Summit St. Dam/Philmont Dam, Potake Lake Dam, Warwick Lower Reservoir Dam, Batavia Kill Watershed Dam, Vischers Ferry Dam and Pepacton Dam. Both Gilboa and Vischers have been classified as being close to catastrophic failure and are being closely monitored.<br />
· The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs began conducting search and rescue missions on August 28 and continue to do so.<br />
· New York State, local and federal resources were used to evacuate health care facilities that were in the direct predicted path of Hurricane Irene. More than 3,100 patients were evacuated from more than 80 hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities.<br />
· The State Emergency Operations Center has received reports that several farms were impacted by the flood waters causing a large number of dead livestock and potential hazardous waste material due to those deaths. The New York State Emergency Operations Center is working to determine actual number of dead livestock.<br />
· The New York State Agriculture and Markets is receiving reports of sufficient crops and feed loss at impacted farms. Many farms are in need of new feed supplies and fuel to help isolated farms keep livestock alive.<br />
· The State is working with FEMA to try to determine the fastest way to conduct bridge and roadway inspections due to damages from flood waters and debris.<br />
· The State Emergency Operations Center deployed more than 79 personnel from Incident Management Teams and Emergency Operations Center support teams to local governments.<br />
· The State is working with local governments to determine the number of schools that were heavily impacted from flood waters and debris.<br />
· The State is working with local governments to determine the number of contaminated water wells and sewage systems.<br />
· The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has provided generators to State Police stations in Dover Plains and East Fishkill.<br />
· Both the State and Federal resources have pre-staged and are using more than 100 ambulances to assist local 911 centers as needed for life-safety calls.</p>
<p>I request direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and property.</p>
<p>In accordance with 44 CFR §§ 206.208, the State of New York agrees that it will, with respect to direct Federal assistance:</p>
<p>1. Provide without cost to the United States all lands, easements and rights-of-way necessary to accomplish the approved work;<br />
2. Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the requested work, and shall indemnify the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;<br />
3. Provide reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement; and<br />
4. Assist the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional matters.</p>
<p>In addition, I anticipate the need for debris removal, which poses an immediate threat to lives, public health, and safety.</p>
<p>Pursuant to Sections 403 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5170b &amp; 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States of America for any claims arising from the removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. That State agrees that debris removal from public and private property will not occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization for the removal of debris.</p>
<p>I have designated Andrew X. Feeney, Director of the State Office of Emergency Management, as the State Coordinating Officer for this request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>ANDREW M. CUOMO</p>
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		<title>Recommendations on Lobbying</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/10/recommendations-on-lobbying/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/10/recommendations-on-lobbying/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:27:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9977</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The city Lobbying Commission, chaired by former City Councilmember Herbert Berman has issued its preliminary report, available here. The recommendations essentially reflect the likely changes Jane Timm reported on for Gotham Gazette last week.
In particular, the commission recommends expanding the definition of lobbying to include efforts to influence legislation before a bill is introduced – [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The city <a href=" http://www.nyc.gov/html/lobby/html/home/home.shtml">Lobbying Commission</a>, chaired by former City Councilmember Herbert Berman has issued its preliminary report, available <a href=" http://www.nyc.gov/html/lobby/downloads/pdf/preliminary_report_of_the_new_york_city_lobbying_commission.pdf">here</a>. The recommendations essentially reflect the likely changes Jane Timm <a href=http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110805/203/3579>reported</a> on for Gotham Gazette last week.</p>
<p>In particular, the commission recommends expanding the definition of lobbying to include efforts to influence legislation before a bill is introduced – the law now covers only proposed legislation – or to keep a bill from being introduced. It also would extend to efforts to shape or stop executive orders by the mayor.</p>
<p>The commission also seeks to have the city raise the threshold at which one must register as a lobbyist from $2,000 to $5,000. The increase, the commission anticipates, would reduce the number of lobbyists in the city by about 40 but would still cover around 99 percent of the money spent on lobbying here.</p>
<p>The report notes that some groups had hoped to raise the threshold still further. The commission said it will consider recommending a rise to $10,000 on its final report – but only for organizations that spend that money lobbying only on their own behalf.</p>
<p>In the report, the commission also describes some suggestions it heard and rejected, such as moving regulation of lobbying from the city clerk&#8217;s office to another agency.</p>
<p>The report still needs to become final. When that happens, it will go to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council who, if they agree with the recommendation, can propose bills incorporating the suggestions for passage by the council.</p>
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		<title>Murdoch in the Schools</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/05/murdoch-in-the-schools/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/05/murdoch-in-the-schools/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:08:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9956</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The city and state teachers union are stepping up their opposition to the awarding of a state education contract to a company owned by Rupert Murdoch. 
The unions have not been big fans of the beleaguered press mogul – or of former Chancellor Joel Klein, who now heads education technology (and damaged control?) for him. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The city and state teachers union are stepping up their opposition to the awarding of a state education contract to a company owned by Rupert Murdoch. </p>
<p>The unions have not been big fans of the beleaguered press mogul – or of former Chancellor Joel Klein, who now heads education technology (and damaged control?) for him.  And the deal has been <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/06/company-overseen-by-joel-klein-poised-to-clean-up-with-27m-no-bid-nyc-contract">raising eyebrows</a> since June when the Daily News&#8217; Rachael Monahan <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/06/company-overseen-by-joel-klein-poised-to-clean-up-with-27m-no-bid-nyc-contract"> reported</a> that the state Department of Education was about to award a $27 million no-bid contract to <a href="http://www.wirelessgeneration.com/">Wireless Generation</a> to develop a system for the state similar to the city&#8217;s Achievement Reporting and Innovation System or <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/education/24aris.html?scp=2&#038;sq=achievement+reporting+and+innovation+system&#038;st=nyt">ARIS</a>.</p>
<p>Klein had been a big promoter of Wireless Generation during his days as chancellor. Two weeks after  he left the city to take a mega-lucrative deal with News Corp., the Murdoch company bought Wireless Generation. Admittedly Klein himself worked for the city, not the state. But the ties are there –- and the former chancellor certainly stands to benefit from a deal that, in the <a href="http://www.wirelessgeneration.com/">view</a> of a Forbes blogger, &#8220;smack of cronyism.&#8221;</p>
<p>The phone hacking scandal has  raised further doubts. In their letter to  Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the state Board of Regents, and state Education Commissioner John King Jr., <a href="http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/index.htm">state United Teachers</a> president Richard Ianuzzi and Michael Mulgrew, head of the <a href=http://www.uft.org>city teachers union</a>, stressed those concerns. Parents and educators, they wrote, question &#8220;the wisdom of allowing a News Corp.-owned company to have access the the personal data  of students from all across New York.&#8221;<br />
<span id="more-9956"></span><br />
Perhaps taking a dig at Klein &#8212; who is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/12/joel-klein-news-corps-investigation">leading</a> the company&#8217;s own probe of its alleged misdeeds, the letter continued, &#8220;That News Corp. chose to launch its own investigation rather than open itself to outside scrutiny only furthers the mistrust that people are feeling and raises serious questions about News Corp./Wireless Generation with  respect to transparency, oversight and accountability.&#8221;</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Monahan <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/07/31/2011-07-31_rupert_ripoff_alert_16_firms_were_up_for_27m_doe_deal_murdoch_will_get_bidfree.html"> reported</a> last weekend that a number of other companies had expressed interest in the contract with the state &#8212; raising further questions about why the deal was done on a no-bid basis. </p>
<p>Agency officials told Monahan they decided not to pursue other vendors because of the &#8220;extremely challenging time line&#8221; for the project, since it needs to meet a fall 2012 set in the state&#8217;s federal Race to the Top grant. Given that, Wireless Generation may not be the best bet. As the city rolled out the system, there were <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/education/24aris.html?scp=2&#038;sq=achievement+reporting+and+innovation+system&#038;st=nyt">widespread delays</a>.</p>
<p>The state comptroller still needs to prove the contract</p>
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		<title>Getting Ready to Redistrict</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/18/getting-ready-to-redistrict/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/18/getting-ready-to-redistrict/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:25:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9889</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Common Cause/NY said earlier this year that they were planning to release their own maps to help LATFOR draw up district lines. Now they are following the mapping debate with a blog that will provide readers with demographic information and issues facing districts across the state.
LATFOR has announced public meetings across the state to take [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Common Cause/NY said earlier this year that they were planning to release their own maps to help LATFOR draw up district lines. Now they are following the mapping debate with a blog that will provide readers with demographic information and issues facing districts across the state.</p>
<p>LATFOR has announced public meetings across the state to take input and discuss possible changes to local districts.  Now Common Cause has launched a blog called <a href="www.citizensredistrictny.org/blog/">Mapping Democracy</a> that will highlight the concerns of each part of the state that LATFOR is visiting.<br />
&#8220;In Mapping Democracy, we&#8217;ll discuss and provide illustrative maps on aspects of the current district lines and the demographic issues that should influence where the new district lines should be placed, &#8221; said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY in a statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll do that for each locale in advance of each of the public hearings which LATFOR has scheduled around the state starting on Tuesday. Of course, we&#8217;ll also discuss political developments which may have an impact on the redistricting process or the new maps themselves, but our purpose in starting the blog is to help shift the focus from the political horse race to the important substantive issues which effect how communities will be reflected in the new districts.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Our maps will illustrate how communities have often been arbitrarily divided by the current, highly partisan districts. In order to maximize the effective representation and participation of communities in the political process, New York&#8217;s new district maps should look very different than the current set,&#8221; said Brian Paul, Research &amp; Policy Coordinator at Common Cause/NY in a statement.</p>
<p>The group plans to have information on the blog about Syracuse and Rochester&#8211;the next two places LATFOR will visit.</p>
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		<title>From Weiner to Weprin</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/07/from-weiner-to-weprin/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/07/from-weiner-to-weprin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:11:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[9th congressional district]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anthony Weiner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[david weprin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mark weprin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city comptroller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[special election]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9856</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Queens and Brooklyn Democratic parties have reportedly selected State Assemblymember David Weprin as the party&#8217;s choice to replace Anthony Weiner as the Congress member from New York&#8217;s 9th District.
He will face an as yet to be determined Republican &#8212; and maybe a Conservative too &#8212; in a special election on Sept. 13. Although Democrats [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Queens and Brooklyn Democratic parties have <a href="http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/07/weprin-to-be-dem-candidate-in-ny-9/">reportedly selected</a> State Assemblymember <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/campaigns/whosrunning.php?t=indiv&#038;id=236">David Weprin</a> as the party&#8217;s choice to replace Anthony Weiner as the Congress member from New York&#8217;s 9th District.</p>
<p>He will face an as yet to be determined Republican &#8212; and <a href="http://www.politickerny.com/2011/07/07/in-break-with-conservatives-gop-leaning-to-giuliani-alum-juan-reyes/">maybe a Conservative too</a> &#8212; in a special election on Sept. 13. Although Democrats have held the seat for decades, Republicans hope they have an opening because of Weiner&#8217;s demise and, by New York City standards, a fairly high number of registered Republicans in the district.</p>
<p>Weprin served on the City Council where he chaired the powerful Finance Committee until he left to make an unsuccessful <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20090908/211/3009">run for city comptroller</a>, coming in <a href="http://redesign.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20090921/202/3029">fourth in a field of four</a>. He then moved to the State Assembly, replacing his brother, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/23">Mark</a>, who had been elected to his old council seat. </p>
<p>Weprin reportedly has said he would not try to run for a full term next year &#8212; a key issue since the district is likely to be redistricted out of its existence leaving meaning he would have had to take on another Queens incumbent if he wanted to stay in Washington. This could lead the way to Weprin&#8217;s making another bid for  city office &#8212; comptroller, perhaps.</p>
<p>If Weprin wins on Sept. 13, there then could be yet another special election &#8211; that one to fill his Assembly seat. That post has been held by one member of the Weprin family or another <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/01/11/the-weprin-seat/">since 1971</a>.</p>
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		<title>Developers&#039; Dollars</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/05/developers-dollars/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/05/developers-dollars/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:40:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9847</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The New York Post&#8217;s David Seifman reported Sunday that developers left without a candidate in the 2013 mayoral race after the demise of Rep Anthony Weiner might support Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. This has the appeal of a man bites dog story &#8212; de Blasio a favored candidate of many unions and the Working [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The New York Post&#8217;s David Seifman <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/html/home/home.shtml">reported Sunday</a> that developers left without a candidate in the 2013 mayoral race after the <a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/nyregion/anthony-d-weiner-tells-friends-he-will-resign.html>demise of Rep Anthony Weiner</a> might support Public Advocate <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/campaigns/whosrunning.php?searchterms=de+blasio&#038;submit=search">Bill de Blasio</a>. This has the appeal of a man bites dog story &#8212; de Blasio a <a href="http://redesign.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20091013/203/3051">favored candidate of many unions</a> and the <a href="http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/">Working Families Party</a>, would seem an unlikely politician for developers to embrace.</p>
<p>Whatever the merit of Seifman&#8217;s story, it was a little puzzling for its omission of at least one candidate who already has a lot of support from the real estate industry: Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Using Gotham Gazette&#8217;s <a href="http://www.councilpedia.org/index.php?title=Main_Page">Councilpedia</a>, we examined Quinn&#8217;s <a href="http://www.councilpedia.org/index.php?title=Major_Supporters_2013_%28Through_January_2011%29_%28Christine_Quinn%29">major contributors for the 2013 race</a> (many of who actually gave in 2007 and 2008, before the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20091221/200/3136">extension of term limits</a> sunk Quinn&#8217;s 2009 run for Gracie Mansion). And we discovered a large number of $4,950 contributions &#8212; the maximum allowed for citywide candidates &#8212; from people involved in real estate.</p>
<p>In a number of cases, several people associated with a company anted up. At least six people<br />
with links to <a href="http://www.rudin.com/">Rudin Management</a>, one of the city’s largest building developers and owners,  gave $4,950, as did five members of the <a href="http://www.observer.com/2010/commercial-observer/jeff-gurals-many-acts">Gural family</a> of the global real estate firm <a href="http://www.newmarkkf.com/">Newmark Knight Frank</a> and the president of Newmark, James Kuhn. Three members of the Walentas family of <a href="http://www.twotreesny.com/flash_index.html">Two Trees Management</a>, which has developed much of DUMBO< gave $4,950 each, as did two executives with the company, Amish Patel and Richard Shill.<br />
Thee people associated with <a href="http://www.rosenyc.com/">Rose Associates opened their wallets for the maximum, as did two Roses with the <a href="http://www.georgetownco.com/">Georgetown Co. </a>At least five people with ties to The <a href=http://www.benjamindevco.com/aboutus.htm">Benjamin Companies</a> on Long Island gave Quinn $4,950, and so did at least four people with ties to <a href="http://www.related.com/ourcompany/businesses.aspx">Related</a>. And so on.</p>
<p>More on the money trail after the jump<br />
<span id="more-9847"></span><br />
Interestingly a number of people, including three donors from Related, who gave the maximum to Quinn also gave to Weiner.</p>
<p>In his 2009 run for public advocate, de Blasio got only a few of his biggest contributions from the <a href="http://www.councilpedia.org/index.php?title=Real_Estate_Industry_%28Bill_de_Blasio%29">real estate industry</a>, according to Councilpedia. His <a href="http://www.councilpedia.org/index.php?title=Major_Supporters_%28Bill_de_Blasio%29">list of largest contributors</a> shows a preponderance of unions and attorneys. </p>
<p>For 2013, he again has some <a href="http://www.councilpedia.org/index.php?title=Real_Estate_Industry_2013_%28Through_January_2011%29_%28Bill_de_Blasio%29">real estate money</a> &#8212; notably $4,950 from Jeffrey Lynford of <a href="http://www.reis.com/index.cfm">REIS</a>, a real estate formation company, who also gave generously to de Blasio&#8217;s 2009 campaign, and $4,950 from <a href="http://people.forbes.com/profile/elzie-l-higginbottom/148951">Elzie Higginbottom</a>, a Chicago developer. His <a href="http://www.councilpedia.org/index.php?title=Major_Supporters_2013_%28Through_January_2011%29_%28Bill_de_Blasio%29">major contributors</a> for 2013 so far are a fairly eclectic group, although, again, he has donations from unions.</p>
<p>This could, of course, change when de Blasio &#8212; like all other 2013 candidates for any city office &#8212; file disclosure forms later this month that will cover any money received in the first half of this year. But Quinn&#8217;s support is not altogether surprising. During much of the past six years she has <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20070723/202/2236">allied herself</a> with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who the real estate industry generally supports (they don&#8217;t have to give him money though) and she has also taken many pro-business stands, most notably <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20101015/203/3384">blocking a vote on a bill</a> that would have required paid sick leave for workers in the five boroughs.</p>
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		<title>Hoyt&#039;s Resignation Letter</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/30/hoyts-resignation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/30/hoyts-resignation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:15:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sam Hoyt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here is former Buffalo Assemblyman Sam Hoyt&#8217;s resignation letter. Hoyt will be taking up a &#8220;senior position&#8221; in the Empire State Development Corporation. Hoyt was found in 2008 to have carried on an affair with a 23-year-old legislative intern from 2003 to 2005 and was subsequently denied intern help by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.  Hoyt [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here is former Buffalo Assemblyman Sam Hoyt&#8217;s resignation letter. Hoyt will be <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/30/the-dump-continues/">taking up a &#8220;senior position&#8221;</a> in the Empire State Development Corporation. Hoyt was <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/30/the-dump-continues/">found</a> in 2008 to have carried on an affair with a 23-year-old legislative intern from 2003 to 2005 and was subsequently<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/27/nyregion/27hoyt.html?ref=samhoyt"> denied intern hel</a>p by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.  Hoyt is a close ally of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.<span id="more-9830"></span></p>
<p>Dear Friends:</p>
<p>Governor Cuomo has offered me an exciting and important opportunity within his administration, a senior position with the Empire State Development Corporation, about which more details will be available tomorrow. I have accepted his offer with enthusiasm, which necessarily means that I will also be stepping down after 19 years of service in the New York State Assembly. After the most productive legislative session I have experienced – both for me personally and the Legislature as a whole – I can hardly imagine a better moment to make this transition. The last few hours of this last session were by far the most thrilling I have been a part of in all of my years in the Assembly. I was proud to help Governor Cuomo pass key elements of his legislative agenda including SUNY 2020, the strongest property tax cap in the nation, and most historically, marriage equality for all New Yorkers, an issue I have advocated for years.</p>
<p>While the work of the Legislature will never be finished, this session marks the successful completion of many of the projects I have worked on throughout my career. One of my primary goals has always been revitalizing our upstate cities, with a focus, of course, on Buffalo. In the past three years, I have authored and passed into law three bills in particular that I believe will have a transformational impact on our upstate cities. They are the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, the State&#8217;s first Smart Growth law, and most recently the Land Bank bill that was passed by both houses just two weeks ago. These three pieces of legislation have the potential to make a significant impact on the repopulation and revitalization of Upstate New York.</p>
<p>Over the past 19 years, I have worked hard to represent the interests of the people of the 144<sup>th</sup> District, not just in Albany but here at home as well. For me, elected office has been about more than legislation alone. It has been about helping the people in my district when they need it the most, and about making Buffalo a better place to live and work. Over the years, that has meant things like helping protect and preserve the historic H. H. Richardson Complex, stopping the closure of Children&#8217;s Hospital, and fighting for community-driven projects like the Jesse Kregal Bike Path along Scajacquada Creek and Black Rock Canal Park. It has also meant hours and hours of constituent service, helping the people of Western New York straighten out bureaucratic problems with Medicaid or unemployment insurance, lending a hand to block clubs in their efforts to clean up problem properties in their neighborhoods, and fighting to ensure that above all, the government works for the people.</p>
<p>Of course in my duties as a Legislator, I have also worked hard for my legislative successes. From the Protections for Health Care Workers Act to the Local Government Consolidation Law to Race to the Top education reform to the Main Street Grants Program and more, I have consistently fought for economic and social justice legislation that would benefit all New Yorkers. All of this work has culminated in the great accomplishments of this most recent legislative session.</p>
<p>It is no coincidence that the Legislature’s most successful year coincides with Governor Cuomo’s first year. I have long felt a sense of partnership with Governor Cuomo, indeed long before he was Governor. There has been no daylight between his priorities and my own. It has therefore not been difficult to conclude that the best way to advance those priorities further on behalf of Western New York and the entire state is to join his team.</p>
<p>I was first elected to the Assembly under sad circumstances – the seat opened upon the premature passing of my father, Bill Hoyt.  My initial motivation was to continue the family legacy – that of both Bill and my mother, Carol of progressive leadership. During the ensuring two decades that motivation has married well with the needs and aspirations of the people of Buffalo and Grand Island, who I have had the honor to serve. And while I enter this new phase under much happier circumstances, those motivations will continue to inspire me every day I will be working for the most dynamic leader this State has seen in generations.</p>
<p>Although this moment marks the end of my career in the Assembly, it is far from a goodbye. More than anything else, every success attributed to me has been a team effort. I am so grateful for the many dedicated staff members I have had over the years who made enormous personal sacrifices to serve along side me to help improve the lives of the people of the 144<sup>th</sup> District. Both in Albany and throughout the district, they worked long hours behind the scenes on legislation, local projects, constituent service, and beyond. It is through their efforts that I was able to represent the interests of the people of Western New York, and for that I am thankful.</p>
<p>All of you have been my partners in so many of those efforts as well, and Governor Cuomo and I will continue to need your support going forward. The future has never looked brighter. I am grateful for this new opportunity to get to that bright future, and I am eternally grateful for your help, support and friendship in our shared goal of getting there together.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>SAM HOYT</p>
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		<title>Why Sen. Kevin Parker Got Mad</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/25/why-sen-kevin-parker-got-mad/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/25/why-sen-kevin-parker-got-mad/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:19:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danny O'Donnell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dean Skelos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred Dicker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kevin parker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NY Senate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Duffy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ruben Diaz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[same sex marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Cohen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Duane]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last night as the country watched the New York State Senate vote on same-sex marriage things came to a jarring halt. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, who was presiding over the chamber, called session into recess to find out what was happening on the floor. Were you watching? Did you wonder what was going on?
Essentially the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last night as the country watched the New York State Senate vote on same-sex marriage things came to a jarring halt. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, who was presiding over the chamber, called session into recess to find out what was happening on the floor. Were you watching? Did you wonder what was going on?</p>
<p>Essentially the Senate rules were changed in a backroom agreement before session started and then changed again during the vote to make sure it would be concluded to make the 11 p.m. newscasts.</p>
<p>Sen. Kevin Parker, a long time proponent of same-sex marriage, was informed by Senate staff that he would not be able to explain his vote. He was livid. He cursed out the governor and eventually stormed to the podium where Duffy was presiding &#8212; a number of other Democratic senators followed him, seemingly to calm him down.</p>
<p>Earlier when Sen. Ruben Diaz tried to lay the marriage bill aside he was ignored. Normal Senate procedure allows for any senator to lay a bill aside for debate. It gives legislators a chance to debate the bill then when they vote, they again have the chance to explain their vote. But the rules weren&#8217;t the same.</p>
<p>Parker told the Gazette that around 7 or 8 p.m. the Senate Democratic conference met and discussed a deal. &#8220;We were informed of he procedure,&#8221; said Parker. &#8220;Everyone knew Rev. Diaz  was going to lay the bill aside but we agreed not to debate the bill after he laid it aside. We would call the roll and all be able to explain our votes. We would be given two minutes each.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Gazette and a number of other sources reported the proposed limited debate earlier in the week. I was told to expect it by multiple senators earlier yesterday morning.<span id="more-9781"></span></p>
<p>But that deal is not what happened. Gov. Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s aide Steve Cohen was on the floor trying to hurry everything along. Parker says that Cohen was trying to &#8220;shut down debate. The cover story was that Dean [Skelos] was upset at Ruben Diaz&#8217;s remarks about Republicans and was going to pull the bill if we started speaking. Everyone knows we don&#8217;t control Diaz.&#8221;</p>
<p>Parker says he was upset most of all because as a minority-party legislator he has little power. Explaining his vote on issues is at times his only resort. Parker says his district is full of people who do not support gay marriage, and although he was a long time supporter, he felt it was important &#8212;  just as it was for other senators &#8212; to explain the thinking behind his vote.</p>
<p>Parker was not the only angry Democrat. A number of other legislators were visibly distraught when they were informed they would not be able to speak.</p>
<p>Parker notes that debate also was curtailed during the budget vote earlier this year because, &#8220;It was coming up on midnight and they wanted to make sure it was officially two days early.&#8221;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He says however that the biggest mistake he and Democrats made was not standing up to support Diaz&#8217;s right to lay the bill aside. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t like what he had to say. No one wanted to hear it but it was his right as a member. Essentially the lieutenant governor ignored his request, and shame on us not standing up for him,&#8221; said Parker.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">&#8220;Yes, the moment last night was about Tom Duane and Danny O&#8217;Donnell and the rights of New Yorkers &#8212; I was one of the first people to sign on to the [same-sex marriage] bill. I&#8217;ve been a proponent of it but we can&#8217;t stand by when the limited rights members have are violated. My constituents have a right to know why I was voting for it. If it took two days we should have let them speak.&#8221;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A number of other Democrats acknowledged to me that the governor&#8217;s office was pushing hard to move the debate forward so that Cuomo could make the 11 p.m. newscasts. &#8220;11, 11, 11,&#8221; that&#8217;s all they were saying said one Democratic senator.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After realizing he would not be allowed to speak despite his protests, Parker tried to leave the floor. The door he tried to exit was locked. Earlier Duffy had asked the crowd not to leave the chamber during the vote. Cuomo&#8217;s people &#8212; staff and security &#8212; had been in and out of the side door  locking and unlocking it all during the debate. At one point a man wearing an ear piece emerged and surveyed the route Cuomo would take. When Parker tried to leave the door was locked again.</p>
<p>&#8220;I go to the door, and I tried to leave, and they had us locked in. I tried to leave, and they had us locked on to the floor,&#8221; Parker said. Finally he made it out of the chamber. &#8220;One sergeant of arms physically grabbed me.  I was appalled. I&#8217;m a senator.&#8221; Parker then made his way through an ante chamber. &#8220;A plain clothes cop and secretary tried to close the door again,&#8221; he explains, trying to block his exit. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never seen a member treated in such a manner. I&#8217;ve never seen white member treated that way,&#8221; Parker, who is black, said. He was again also confronted by another sergeant of arms.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Cuomo was asked by the NY Post&#8217;s Fred Dicker at the following press conference, about the vote and why Parker might have been upset. Cuomo said that he assumed the Senate was following its normal rules. But he claimed ignorance as to what the rules actually are.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The rules on the floor weren&#8217;t the only things changed on the floor last night. Bill Mahoney of the New York Public Interest Research Group was told by two state troopers that the public was not allowed into committee meetings. Mahoney informed them that was illegal and they responded they were just following orders.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
&#8220;Let me be clear,&#8221; said Parker. &#8220;The first mistake was not standing up when Diaz wanted the bill laid aside.&#8221;</p>
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