Results tagged “citycouncilspeakerquinn”

Yesterday, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum claimed the 40% reduction in her office's budget—from $2.8 million to $1.7 million— was "political payback" from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Why? Because Gotbaum opposed extending term limits, which Quinn supported. PolitickerNY reports that Gotbaum, who is not running for re-election, "said she will not lay off any of her 40 employees, but may leave some positions vacant in order to save money for whomever succeeds her." She added, "I find it appalling that the speaker could not find the money to restore my budget but did have $17 million to hand out. The speaker can get the money from wherever she is parking those funds." Gotbaum's complaints led the Post create a Gotbaum-baby Photoshop (pictured, but larger version here); the Post also reports that Quinn retorted, "Why did the mayor cut the public advocate's office? Betsy, the public advocate, should take her question there...I can't speak to her anger level, today or in comparison to any other days." The mayor's office suggested Gotbaum...speak to the City Council.

Today, the NY Sun had an editorial questioning why City Council Speaker Christine Quinn remains in a $1,600/month rent-stabilized apartment, when she makes $141,000/year from the City Council, owns half a $500,000 house in NJ, and her partner is a corporate lawyer enough for their combined income to probably be at least $300,000. The editorial then looks at Governor Paterson's and Representative Charles Rangel's rent-stabilized living situations (Paterson also has a home upstate, and Rangel has a villa in the Dominican Republic). The Sun writes, "The effect is that a measure originally designed to keep the lower and middle classes from being forced out of the city has become a program that effectively subsidizes country homes outside the city for the upper middle class."

Last night, Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced that the new $59 billion budget (for the 2009 fiscal year, which starts on July 1) will keep the $400 property tax rebate program for homeowners for a fifth year and increases funding to the Department of Education by $129 million. Still, other sacrifices were made as Bloomberg said, "The news about the economy, and its effects on the City's finances, continues to be very sobering, and this budget reflects the uncertain economic outlook we face."

In her State of the City address, City Council Speaker Quinn said that the Council would do its own belt-tightening given expectations the economy will slow. Still, she mentioned, per the Sun, "tax cuts, improved transportation, more pay for teachers, and affordable housing," saying, "Getting leaner does not have to mean getting meaner."

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...

Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Quinn urged the State Assembly to pass a bill authorizing the marine transfer station at the Gansevoort Pier. The MTS, part of the city's Solid Waste Management Plan, would handle recyclable paper, metal, glass and plastic and would help to ease garbage truck traffic. Bloomberg said there would be "a disaster" if the plan doesn't pass.

Mayor Bloomberg, Schools Chancellor Klein, City Council Speaker Quinn, and other city and school officials celebrated the first day of school yesterday with an appearance at P.S. 53 in the Bronx. P.S. 53 was selected because it will be receiving almost a half million dollars more in funding, due to Bloomberg's "fair student funding reforms."

Mayor Bloomberg may be staunchly denying that he's running for president next year, but given the love New Yorkers seem to have for him, you can't blame him for high hopes. The latest Quinnipiac Poll says Bloomberg's approval rating is at 70%. This is down from his possible all-time approval ratings high of 75% at the start of the year, but it's still very high (back in 2003, his approval rating was around 33%).

The Post and Daily News have a number of editorials and columns about the Deutsche Bank building fire response and fallout. The Post continues to demand FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta's resignation and faulted Mayor Bloomberg for standing by Scoppetta. The Daily News' Juan Gonzalez wonders why Bloomberg and Scoppetta have gone into "virtual hiding" and blasts Bloomberg for sending lobbyists to kill "legislation that would force tougher enforcement of safety laws by the city Buildings Department." The News also has an editorial saying that Spitzer must take charge (he "has the muscle to crack heads among the contractors and federal, state and city agencies that have made a perilous hash of the job").

It's the countdown to the final meeting determining increases for rent stabilized apartments coming next week. City Comptroller William Thompson issued a letter asking the Rent Guidelines Board to either raise stabilized rents by the minimum or not to raise them at all, given last week's announced homeowner tax rebates and property tax cuts. Thompson's letter (here's a PDF) notes that the city has not kept up stock for low- and moderate-income housing and that one third of city residents devote at least half their income to rent.

Today at noon, members of the Pedicab Owner's Association, pedicab supporters, members of Time's Up! and more will be protesting new regulations the City Council is proposing. After a year of considering regulation, the City Council is apparently considering to lower the cap on pedicabs from 500 to 300 as well as banning electric motors.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. City offices, post offices and other government buildings are closed today in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Public schools are closed, as well.

With the NJ Supreme Court decision that gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples just one day old, it's still unclear whether or not New York will accept a NJ same-sex civil union or marriage, though it has with other states. Mayor Bloomberg said, "New York City has a policy of accepting bona-fide marriages from other jurisdictions. I've always believed it's not the government's business whom you marry." And City Council Speaker Quinn who is openly gay said, "New York State's Legislature must also act to address this injustice in New York so that all citizens are treated equally on both sides of the Hudson River."

Congress is all about fraud stemming from September 11 relief efforts this week. A House oversight subcommittee has been discussing a number of programs which people not eligible for relief were able to apply for - and get relief. Sound familiar? Yes, it's just like what happened this past year after Hurricane Katrina. One notable example would be a program that gave people the option to buy new air conditioners, since their old ones would have been affected by the Ground Zero dust. Except many people who got money didn't even live near Ground Zero or even lived in apartments with central air! The AC program was budgeted at $15 million, but went to $100 million because of the many applications. With these hearings, and testimony from the Inspector General of Homeland Security, the House hopes not to repeat problems seen after September 11 and Hurricane Katrina; we hope problems leading up to those events won't be repeated either.

The NY Times notes the Bloomberg-Quinn honeymoon with the Mayor's words: "It is clear that we share a lot of the same priorities and that we both understand that balancing long- and short-term interest is absolutely essential to protecting our city's future. I didn't kiss the last speaker, I'll point out. I don't want you to take that the wrong way." We're so sure Giff is upset about not getting Bloomberg kisses! And it was apparently Quinn's idea for the photo op on the steps of City Hall.

Even though construction has been quietly progressing for the last month, today was the official groundbreaking for the High Line Park. Just about every local politician was there to make a little speech about the revitalization of the area, including Senators Clinton and Schumer, Mayor Bloomberg, and City Council Speaker Quinn. A requisite smatter of celebrities also showed up-- Barry Diller and his wife Diane Von Furstenberg, Kevin Bacon, and Ed Norton all stood on the dais during the speeches. Everyone was wearing green commemorative hard hats with the Michael Defeo flower on the front. The big moment was a ceremonial "rail lifting"-- although to tell the truth, the machine seemed to be doing most of the work while the politicos stood around for the cameras.

- Out has such a good interview with Project Runway's Tim Gunn - and there will be a part two later!

- It's Project Runway's skating outfit challenge tonight!