Partners. Deep friendship. Bromance.
Bill de Blasio's day trip to Albany was a display in congeniality as the mayor laid out his ideal working relationship with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, emphasizing the city's plan for universal pre-kindergarten and federal aid for failing Brooklyn hospitals.
The two men politely disagreed with each other on pre-K. The governor defended his budget plan which would institute a statewide universal $1.5 billion program over five years. Meanwhile, de Blasio fielded questions from state lawmakers about his proposal for a tax hike on wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for pre-K, arguing that "the city's right to self-determination, to setting and carrying out our own priorities, should be honored in Albany."
Cuomo and de Blasio stressed that the conversations between city and state are ongoing, but there's one thing on which they are in lockstep. Both urged the federal government to approve a $10 billion Medicaid waiver to allow the state to move money around to save Brooklyn's Interfaith Medical Center and Long Island College Hospital, an issue that got de Blasio arrested last year.
ICYMI in Gotham Gazette
Breaking Down the New City Council Committees by Chester Soria
The new crop of city lawmakers met last week for the first time since electing Melissa Mark-Viverito as their speaker to vote on the Council's leadership appointments. The speaker parsed out the Council's seats of power, as well as the controversial stipends that go with them. READ MORE
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Bill de Blasio makes a return visit to the state capitol this morning days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo's released his budget. Observers still wonder how the two men will reconcile their proposals for universal pre-kindergarten.
Unlike the mayor's previous trip upstate, he's taking some backup with him. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a dogged ally in de Blasio's plan to tax the wealthiest New Yorkers to raise $340 million for pre-K, will join the mayor in testifying in front of the state legislature's fiscal committees, along with 16 other Council members.
The speaker has already vocalized her support for the mayor's "modest" tax increase as a better vehicle for pre-K than Cuomo's $1.5 billion for statewide full-day pre-K, as have Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
and State Senate co-leader Jeffrey Klein. The question remains if any of them will sway a tax-cutting Cuomo caught between a Democratic agenda and an election year.
NEW IN THE GOTHAM GAZETTE
Breaking Down the New City Council Committees by Chester Soria
The new crop of city lawmakers met last week for the first time since electing Melissa Mark-Viverito as their speaker to vote on the Council's leadership appointments. The speaker parsed out the Council's seats of power, as well as the controversial stipends that go with them. READ MORE
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Cuomo’s $2 billion surplus comes with some ifs (Capital)
Mayor de Blasio’s Q&A With The Journal on his Pre-K Plan (Wall Street Journal)
Fighting for Liberal Agenda, Assembly Speaker Finds New Ally in Mayor(NY Times)
Another Albany Push to Stop Traffic Fatalities (WNYC)
Paladino Says Trump Is Serious About Running (YNN)
NYC council speaker hits 7 inaugurations in 1 day (Newsday)
Torres rises to top of Bronx political heap (Daily News)
A glimmer of hope on City Council for developers (Crain's)
Schumer Proposes ‘Avonte’s Law’ to Protect Children With Autism (NY Times)
The city’s unemployment rate dropped last month from 8.5 percent to 8.1 percent, the lowest in five years, according to the state Labor Department. The number of jobs in the city passed the 4 million mark for the first time since 1969. State unemployment fell from 7.4 percent to 7.1 percent. But around 100,000 people statewide lost unemployment benefits because Congress let federal emergency unemployment compensation expire. The national unemployment rate was 6.7 percent.
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Unassuming Liberal's Rapid Ascent To Council Power Broker (NY Times)
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Without Dedicated Funding Stream Universal Pre-K Could Fall Short (The Nation)
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Cuomo To Ban Welfare Card Use For Liquor, Gambling (NY Post)
De Blasio Defends Cuomo’s Verbal Slap At ‘Extreme’ Conservatives (NY Post)
State Education Leader Grilled Over Common Core (Albany Times Union)
Study Says Snow Days Not Detrimental To Learning (WNYC)
Deep Freeze Continues (Wall Street Journal)
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