Results tagged “citycouncilspeakerchristinequinn”

A day after City Council Speaker Christine Quinn officially proclaimed her support to support extending term limits from two to three terms, the backlash and uncertainty continues to grow. Mayor Bloomberg's team has apparently been looking for support from unions and religious leaders. Right now, NY1's count of City Council members says 15 members support it, 18 are opposed, and 18 are undecided (26 votes are needed to pass the bill).

extend term limits to three. Second, she wouldn't run, "If term limits are extended to 12 years from 8 years, no, I would not run for mayor." As for other mentioned 2009 hopefuls, City Comptroller Bill Thompson's campaign is still "moving forward" and Representative Anthony Weiner, who narrowly lost the 2005 Democratic primary to Freddy Ferrer, is still interested in running and said there should be a special election for term limits.

Mayor Bloomberg is definitely interested in seeing if the CIty City Council can reverse term limits (or at least change them from two terms to three terms) but there may be many legal challenges ahead. The Sun reports NYPIRG would likely "join a fight against such a vote court," with NYPIRG senior attorney Gene Russianoff pointing out that voters approved term limits in both 1993 and 1996. (The same sentiment was echoed by former public advocate and mayoral candidate Mark Green.) But the Daily News' Adam Lisberg explained why City Council Speaker Christine Quinn might be inclined to make a run at changing term limits; one reason might be "she would get a graceful exit from a mayor's race that looks increasing worrisome for her."

Translation: "This building is not as big and ugly as we'd like it to be."

An effort to get more fresh fruit and vegetables into the hands of poorer and allegedly under-served communities is being fought today by bodega and supermarket owners, who feel that a proposed 1,500 new street vendor licenses will cut into their business. Backers of the new licenses include City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg, who cooperated in introducing the "Green Cart" plan, which will issue licenses to vendors who commit to serving fresh fruit and vegetables in poorer communities.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an injured police officer at Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn, a gas leak on South 8th St. and Wythe Ave. in Brooklyn, and a bank robbery at the North Fork branch on 87th St. and Broadway in Manhattan.
  
• The FDNY will be stationing a battalion chief at the Deutsche Bank building until it is fully dismantled.
  
• Someone in the Clinton campaign said that there's a 5% chance that in the event of a deadlock between Obama and Clinton at the Democrats' national convention, Al Gore may arise as a compromise candidate.
  
• Plans for a Veselka on the Bowery may be on the rocks, as a liquor license for the Avalon building location looks unlikely.
  
• The 69-year-old man, who was killed after being sideswiped by a cab and then run over by a bus on West 57th St. yesterday, was on his way to deliver candy to Oprah's best pal Gayle King.
  
• A 500 lb. man is suing the FDNY for $5 million after ten firefighters, who were trying to take him to the hospital using a pulley-and-platform rig to get the man out the building, dropped him down a flight of stairs.
  
• Patty Hearst's French bulldog won Best of Opposite Sex in the breed's category (a male won Best of Breed) at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
  
• City Council Speaker Christine Quinn proposed a citywide network of water-borne mass transit, where boats could ferry New Yorkers from stop to stop all over the city's five boroughs.
  

After a year of widely publicized construction site deaths, New York City's Buildings Dept. is working to tighten up some work rules that may have fallen by the wayside or are no longer sufficient. DOB Commissioner Patricia Lancaster wants new rules and a strengthening of the enforcement of work licenses for contractors and concrete operators.

Mayor Bloomberg presented the preliminary 2008-2009 fiscal year budget which inclued cuts to almost every city agency, saying, "Everyone is going to have to tighten their belts." One big reason is the slowing economy and its effects on the city; for instance, the city had previously thought Wall Street profits would be $16.8 billion last year but they are more likely to be $2.8 billion.

Take a good, long look New York: You could be staring into the squinty eyes of your future mayor. (Yes, the white dude on the right.) Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who describes himself as “somewhat comical” [emphasis added] is on the verge of announcing his candidacy for mayor. Fuhgeddaboutit?

Not everyone got an over-hyped "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" when it hit Whole Foods last year, so the powers that be had to step in and put an end to the bag's nemesis: The Plastic Bag!

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is seeking the dismissal of a civil suit against her filed by Council Member Charles Barron's former chief of staff Viola Plummer. Quinn gave Plummer the boot when the councilman's aide refused to sign a pledge to compose herself while the City Council was in session.

Just because the 2009 elections are over 22 months away doesn't mean some interesting moves can't happen. Adolfo Carrion Jr. (pictured, on left), the Bronx Borough President, has decided to run for City Comptroller in 2009, making it a tough field and shedding light on the mayoral contest.

Last month, New York City kicked off a big global advertising campaign to attract more tourists to the Big Apple. The ads appear in a number of venues, and the Post notes that media space has been bought in Out magazine and on the LOGO network, as well as LGBT websites. A Bloomberg administration official explains that gay and lesbians have more disposable income, as they are usually dual-income without kids, "What we're saying...

After City Council member Simcha Felder announced he would propose legislation to ban feeding pigeons, bird lovers joined forces and, yesterday, held a rally at City Hall. Armed with posters like "Save Our Right to Feed Wildlife," "Have U Known Anybody Killed by a Pigeon?", "Pigeons are Beautiful Birds," and "Felder's Pigeon Bill is Poop!", the pro-pigeon protesters spoke out for their feathered friends. One demonstrator told City Room, "We are voices for the...

Today is a citywide "Day Out Against Hate." City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and the Reverend Al Sharpton have spearheaded the event, which was prompted by a number of disturbing hate crime incidents, from swastikas in Brooklyn Heights to a noose found at the Columbia University campus. The Politicker was at one of the events this morning, where Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz "suggested, rather strongly, that city public school students be required to make...

City Councilman Simcha Felder's proposed legislation to fine people $1,000 for feeding pigeons has struck a nerve. Felder and other elected officials claim that pigeons' poop is harmful to New Yorkers and, therefore, various ways to limit pigeons' eating and procreating should be explored. But some pigeon lovers are unhappy with the level of vitriol directed at the city's unofficial bird. Hence the video from Animaniacs, "Goodfeathers" (it's 10 minutes, so settle in to...

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A police impersonation on Ocean Parkway and Quentin in Brooklyn, a car vs. Pathmark at 107th Avenue at 105th Street in Queens, and an evidence search at 13 East 12th Street.
• The new report cards for public schools may mean principals will be fired and schools closed.
• A stop work order didn't stop a construction crew from tearing up the building where Gertel's once stood on Hester Street.
• Giuliani sticks up for his pal, embattled former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik: "if I have the same degree of success and failure as president of the United States, this country will be in great shape."
• A Rockland County church isn't very forgiving to the homeless man who broke in to call sex hotlines.
• Speaking of sex, the National Organization for Women's NYC chapter succeeding in getting New York magazine to stop running sex ads in the back of the magazine. It was really convenient, since New York says they were thinking of getting rid of them some time anyway.
• Was the poker heist that left one player dead an inside job? The victim's friend thinks yes.
• City Council Speaker Christine Quinn would prefer to reform the St. Patrick's Day Parade to tout inclusion, versus green beer.

Howard Beach residents are probably shaking their heads over reports of yet another allegedly racially motivated attack in their neighborhood. The police say that a group of white teenagers claims they were attacked by a group, who were made up of Hispanics and blacks.

city agencies to imposed a hiring freeze for all areas (the exceptions are for essential public safety and health workers).

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn gave a speech at an Association for a Better New York event yesterday that seemed to be a preview into Quinn's 2009 mayoral campaign. According to CityRoom, the speech "seemed to be steered toward showing Ms. Quinn to be a responsible, knowledgeable fiscal heavyweight who would be an effective watchdog of New York City’s financial health."

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to New York is sure going to be a doozey. He may have decided not to visit Ground Zero anymore, but his appearance at Columbia University, to participate in a World Leaders Forum, has many people upset.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: An unstable building on Jewlett Avenue in Staten Island, a jumper down in Brooklyn and a double bank robbery (Commerce and Bank of NY) at 80 Broadway in Manhattan.
• Four winning MegaMillions tickets were sold, but in NJ, Maryland, Texas and Virginia. The numbers were 8-18-22-40-44 (with MegaBall 11), and a lump sum payment would be about $48 million.
• The fugitive businessman who donated thousands to politicians, including Senator Clinton, Governor Spitzer, Attorney General Cuomo, Representative Weiner, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, City Councilman Liu, Comptroller Thompson, has finally turned himself in after 16 years
• Former NJ governor James McGreevery is headed to the General Theological Seminary on Tuesday as a student in a non-degree program.
• Also, if it's back-to-school for students, it's back-to-finding good fake ids for college students.
• onNYTurf is demanding that the MTA offer schedule data as a public feed. We'd be surprised if the MTA can wrangle that much data, but given that they're interested in collaborating with Google...
• Musician Patti Smith posted a poem for CBGB's founder Hilly Kristal on her website
• And in Minneapolis, 19 bicyclists were arrested during Critical Mass (see photographs here) - how was last night's ride?

Thought Governor Eliot Spitzer and Senator Hilary Clinton appeared at a press conference to discuss health coverage of New York children, they had to answer questions about campaign donations they accepted from fugitive apparel executive Norman Hsu. Clinton received $23,000 from Hsu and announced that she would donate the money to charity after revelations that Hsu has been wanted in California for defrauding California investors since 1991. Hsu has fled to Hong Kong but has been living in New York as a high-profile donor since 2003. Guess when those cases grow cold, they stay cold.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck at Arden Ave. and Hylan Blvd. on Staten Island, a fall victim down an elevator shaft on West 38th St. in Manhattan, and injured officers at 124th St. and Linden Blvd. in Queens.
• The city's Office of Emergency Management will be shutting down streets around Penn Station tonight between midnight and 4am in order to run drills testing New York's preparedness for a terrorist attack.
• City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has entered the talks over whether developer Joseph Sitt will be able to go forward with his $1.5 billion plan to remake Coney Island.
• A 7-year-old girl was injured when grazed by a bullet shot through a wall by a 17-year-old male in her apartment.
• A 17-year-old New Jersey "whiz kid" became the first person to unlock Apple's iPhone and allow it to use a carrier other than the previously mandatory AT&T Wireless.
• Police are searching for a man they believe responsible for slashing three different Asian women over the past six weeks.
• A Tree Grows in Red Hook. A short documentary film about the Red Hook ballfield food vendors, via YouTube.
• NYC cooling centers. If you have an at-risk neighbor who is vulnerable to the heat and not Internet-savvy, let them know the location of the nearest cooling center.

As part of the deal to advance congestion pricing (and nab the $354 million the feds are offering), the city and state have announced their appointees to a panel to, ur, study congestion pricing and develop a recommendation. The Mayor, Governor, City Council, State Senate Majority Leader, and State Assembly Speaker each get to select three appointees, while the Senate minority leader and Assembly minority leader each select one.

Last month, when hundreds of tenants had to be evacuated from apartment buildings following the collapse of the retaining wall at a neighboring construction site, people suspected that the new development's dynamite blasting may have caused the collapse. Now, the City Council is proposing to dramatically limit the time builders can use explosives at sites.

While the jury is still out on whether Mayor Bloomberg's improvements to the public school system have really worked, he, along with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and School Chancellor Joel Klein, announced new initiatives to help middle schools improve academic performance and provide better resources for students, parents, and teachers alike - plus $5 million to fund them. The money will go to the 50 lowest-performing middle schools, so they can staff up with guidance counselors, offer mentoring programs to less experienced supervisors, and offer Regents-level classes.

Yesterday saw tens of thousands of people celebrating the 25th Annual Dominican Day Parade on Sixth Avenue. The parade's organizer, Carlos Velasquez, told the Sun, "The crowd is getting younger and younger as they're learning the language and becoming a part of the city."

On Tuesday, a Con Ed executive faced a number of irritated City Council members seeking answers about the July 18 steam pipe explosion in Midtown. Senior vice president William Longhi said that the investigation could take another two or three months, but City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, "You may not have all the answers and all the Ts crossed and all the Is dotted. I can accept that. But I cannot accept that you have absolutely nothing to tell us about why this may have happened.