Gotham Gazette

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Today's Lead: De Blasio To Skip St. Patrick's Day Parade


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Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday he would not march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan next month because event organizers won't allow participants to openly identify as gay. He would, however, allow city workers to march in uniform if they choose. Mayor David Dinkins also boycotted the event over gay rights issues. Comptroller Scott Stringer will sit the parade out as well. De Blasio said he'd attend other events on the holiday, and in the past has attended a parade in Queens that promotes inclusion of the gay community.

Other Stories We're Following

Teachers’ Push For Back Pay May Pinch City (NY Times)

Fight Awaits de Blasio On Upper East Side Trash Transfer Site (NY Times)

State Under Federal Pressure To Make EBT Changes Or Lose Aid (Albany Times Union)

Police Investigate Deaths Of Two Infants In Queens (DNAinfo)

Cyclists Are Getting Better At Following The Rules (The Atlantic Cities)

De Blasio Names Charter Schools Advocate As Deputy Mayor (NY Post)

De Blasio Won’t Push For Property Tax Increase (Wall Street Journal)

Elections Panel Votes To Send Prosecutors Files (Albany Times Union)

Will Cuomo Retreat From Common Core? (Capital)

City To Tweak Sick Pay, Override Bloomberg Vetoes (Crain's)

How Glass Houses Can Become Hothouses (WNYC)

Cops Sexually Assault Mother, Break 10-Year-Old's Leg (Daily News)

City Taps Children's Aid Society Chief For Pre-K Plan (DNAinfo)

Can $10,239 Buy Quality Pre-K? (WNYC)

Today's Lead: Brooklyn Lawmaker Faces New Charges, Another's Trial Begins


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The legal predicament of embattled state Sen. John Sampson worsened yesterday when federal investigators announced that the eastern Brooklyn lawmaker faces a new set of indictments. Sampson allegedly hid his financial ties to a liquor store that he had his staff help with an unpaid sales tax bill, failing to disclose that information to the FBI last year. Sampson is to be arraigned in a Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday and still faces trial for embezzlement and threatening federal witnesses.

While the news of Sampson's latest charges broke, the trial against another Brooklyn legislator kicked off. Assemblyman William Boyland, Jr. is charged with soliciting more than $250,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents, allegedly to pay off attorney fees from earlier corruption charges of which he was acquitted.

Both Sampson and Boyland remain in office but have yet to announce bids for re-election this year. At least one indicted New York City pol, however, has already asked the courts to postpone his trial until after Primary Day — that request came last week from Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith, who was arrested last year for attempting to bribe officials to get himself on the ballot as a Republican mayoral candidate.


NEW AT GOTHAM GAZETTE

Manhattan Nursing Homes Rates Low in Health Care by Agata Blaszczak-Boxe

When Wayne Padgett’s aunt ended up at the Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home on the Upper East Side last spring, he never imagined that he would eventually need to fly across the country to rescue her. His 86-year-old aunt, Geraldine McCandless, had been sent to recover at the nursing after being hospitalized for a stroke. Padgett was not happy with what he saw when he flew from his California home to visit her.

READ MORE


Other Stories We're Following

State Democrats and Republicans Argue About Moving Primary to June or August (NY1)

De Blasio’s horse-carriage ban stalls (Capital)

De Blasio says he won’t allow co-locations for charter schools (NY Post)

Meet Gilbert Taylor, New York's New Homelessness Chief (WNYC)

De Blasio Threatens to Unleash Locusts on East Side During Daily Show Appearance (NY Observer)

New York City public school kids getting new Muslim, Lunar New Year holidays (Daily News)

Mayor de Blasio Supports Ban On Using Food Stamps For Sugary Drinks(Daily News)

Now, state official says LICH isn’t eligible for Medicaid waiver money(Capital)

Medicaid fraud recoveries up to $851M (Journal News)

City lawyer used office for politics, probe finds (Crain's)

Today's Lead: De Blasio Admin Diverts Charter Schools Money to Pre-K


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The de Blasio administration waited until late Friday afternoon to announce that it would cut $210 million previously committed to classroom space for charter schools while adding 7,000 new pre-K seats. The additional pre-K seats are only partly funded by the cut to charters, with most of the revenue sourced to $800 million from the New York State Smart Schools Bond Act.

The move begins to bring to life Mayor Bill de Blasio's promised priority for universal, full day pre-K. It also appears to confirm some of his critics' fears about the new administration's negative attitude towards charter schools, including parents who think the administration is "playing" with students and their families.

Yet Chancellor Carmen Fariña's decision to shift money from charters towards pre-K won't come to fruition for a while. The bond that the decision relies on is part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive budget, which earmarks $1.5 billion for statewide pre-K over five years.


NEW IN GOTHAM GAZETTE

Aftermath of Tragedy: New York City's Lowest-Rated Nursing Homes by Jordan Davidson

The Gotham Gazette examined inspection reports, complaints and court records to take a close look at five of the city’s lowest-rated nursing homes. This is the first of five parts. Robert Ruiz was designated one of the unsafe smokers at the Mosholu Parkway Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. But when he lit a cigarette in the home’s smoking room three years ago, the staff member assigned to supervise the smokers wasn’t there.

READ MORE


Other Stories We're Following

Cuomo may have Senate votes to block de Blasio’s pre-K tax hike (NY Post)

De Blasio plans to expand ‘living wage’ (NY Post)

Mayor de Blasio's hospitals boss once hit with conflict-of-interest ruling over wife's job (Daily News)

Chirlane McCray is likely to be active in helping husband Mayor de Blasio(Daily News)

NYPD Investigates Threatening Letter Sent to de Blasio (NY1)

State Senator endorses development plan for Brooklyn's LICH (Daily News)

Bill would stop corrupt pols from using campaign cash for legal bills (NY Post)

Food stamp vote divides Democrats (Crain's)

In bank case, it's Cuomo vs. Schneiderman (Crain's)

Gov. Cuomo launches new disaster training program (Staten Island Advance)

Capitol Cops Won't Charge Grimm (Daily News)

Congressional finance reports: district by district (Capital)

Malcolm Smith lawyer: Delay corruption trial until after primary (Queens Chronicle)



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