Draft Bloomberg Issues Ultimatum: 10 Days to Decide (Video)
February 8, 2008
As the GOP appears close to settling on a candidate and the window of opportunity seems to be closing for Mayor Bloomberg’s potential independent presidential bid, one effort to draft him into the race is turning up the heat in hopes of pushing him to a decision.
The Draft Bloomberg committee started by Unity08 co-founders Doug [...]
Tax Breaks - Who Wins and Who Loses?
February 8, 2008
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s January Financial Plan for the next four fiscal years repeats the message of last October’s budget modification: The economy is slowing, city tax revenues are down, and it’s time to make budget cuts. The mayor balances the preliminary $58.5 billion budget for 2009 through agency spending cuts over the next 18 [...]
AFL-CIO For Will Barclay
February 8, 2008
The NYS AFL-CIO has joined the ranks of big labor organizations standing solidly behind Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno in his battle to maintain control of the chamber, announcing today that it has decided to endorse Republican Assemblyman Will Barclay in the 48th SD special election.
(NOTE: I changed the wording of the above paragraph because, [...]
Senate GOP Revives Troopergate Hearing
February 8, 2008
The Senate Investigations Committee just announced it will hold a public hearing in Albany next Tuesday at noon in the LOB’s Hearing Room A to to examine the management and preservation of records, particularly electronic records, in New York State government.”
This has been an issue since reports - vehemently denied by the Spitzer administration - [...]
Campaign Contributions For City Offices Have Increased
February 7, 2008
Contributions to candidates running for city office in 2009 have reached a record $25.7 million, an increase of more than 300% from the amount raised during the 2005 election cycle, according to a report by the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
With 20 months until the September 2009 citywide primary, candidates have received campaign cash [...]
Proposal Could Weaken Mayor, Council Speaker in Budget Process
February 7, 2008
The mayor and City Council speaker’s power over the budget process would be weakened and dispersed among committees under a proposal being floated by Council Member David Yassky of Brooklyn.
The plan calls for the budget to be broken into individual line items by the Independent Budget Office, a nonpartisan city agency that analyzes the city’s [...]
Bloomberg conducting ‘experiment’ to influence prez race
February 7, 2008
As the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates plan the next phase of their campaigns, potential independent contender Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday he is engaged in an “experiment” to influence the race.
Asked at a news conference to comment on the outcome of Super Tuesday’s multi-state nominating contests, Bloomberg described the Republican competition as a “horse [...]
Council Member Says Caffeinated Drink Glorifies Graffiti
February 7, 2008
Council Member Peter Vallone is decrying a new energy drink that he says promotes vandalism. All City NRG, a caffeinated beverage put out by the New York-based AriZona Beverage Co., features graffiti-influenced art on its can and in promotional material. “This product shamelessly glorifies a culture of vandalism and lawlessness,” Mr. Vallone said yesterday. “If [...]
Voter Turnout in Primary Doubles that of ‘04
February 7, 2008
Turnout in Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary was more than double what it was in the city in 2004, according to preliminary numbers released by the Board of Elections.
Unofficially, 891,624 Democrats cast ballots on Super Tuesday in the five boroughs, compared with 350,858 who did so in 2004.
Analysts said that a tight, historic contest without a [...]
Toxic turf ban fight in Albany
February 7, 2008
The city’s sudden retreat last month from the use of rubber-infill artificial turf could be linked to a proposed moratorium now being considered by the state Legislature.
Assemblyman Steve Englebright, D-Suffolk County, has introduced legislation to declare a six-month moratorium on the installation of fake turf pending a public health study. The sponsor of the bill’s [...]
