Governor Cuomo has two more days to sign Mayor Bloomberg's taxi bill that would put 1,500 more yellow cabs in the city, allow livery cabs to pick up street fares almost everywhere in the city and (in thoery) generate more than $1 billion in revenue. But Cuomo has pushed back against the legislation, countering that it doesn't do enough to provide cabs for the disabled. According to the Daily News, Cuomo spent the weekend devising a plan that he finds acceptable, or the legislature can try their luck in January. "This could be 'Gov. Steamroller again steamrolling on behalf of the yellow cab medallion owners who oppose the bill," one statehouse source said. more ›

Governor Cuomo and other state politicians have received threatening emails for refusing to renew a tax on millionaires that is set to expire at the end of the year. The tax is actually levied against New Yorkers with income over $200,000, but Assembly Democrats want to extend it for those literally making more than million dollars a year. It's estimated that extending the tax on the richest 3% of New Yorkers for another year could generate at least $1 billion in desperately-needed revenue. But isn't it better to drown the government and let that billion trickle down on its own, as many millionaires argue? No, say people sending threatening emails! more ›

New York's newly minted Semi-First Lady Sandra Lee is, if anything, good for a choice quote or two. This is, after all, a woman who had seven Christmas trees in her house, all of them plastic. So let's just dive the lovely mini-profile in today's Post, shall we? The whole thing is just lovely. more ›

Don't call it withholding, call it inspiring: former Mayor Mario Cuomo spoke to NY1 about his son Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's nomination for Governor, and went out of his way to lower expectations regarding the candidate's overwhelming popularity. “The biggest factor in politics is probably the biggest factor in life, and that is coincidence; you're in the right place at the right time. You didn't plan to be there, you didn't set it all up. And that's what happens in politics," he said. more ›

The NY Times has a long feature on the relationship between former NY governor Mario Cuomo and presumptive 2010 gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo that includes quotes like "He’s thick skulled; he won’t listen to me. Tell him what to do" (supposedly what Mario told a consultant about Andrew) and "There was this sense of rivalry — Andrew seemed to feel that his dad talked a good game but that he, Andrew, got things done" (someone who worked under Andrew Cuomo at HUD). But what's interesting is how the 1977 mayoral campaign comes into play. more ›

Eliot Spitzer may not have announced his comeback, but he's definitely angling for something: In today's NY Times, Spitzer speaks at length about Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is expected to run for—and be elected—Governor of New York this fall. The former crusading Attorney General turned disgraced Governor said of Cuomo's reputation as a "tough guy," "Toughness is not the issue. It’s easy to be tough if the selection of one’s target is driven by politics. The real test is, do you take on the battles that have been unpopular and perhaps seem impossible to win but are important to take on?" more ›

The Post offers some perspective, by way of the Siena College poll released yesterday, about how voters feel about Governor David Paterson: "New Yorkers would rather have disgraced ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer as the state's chief executive than Gov. Paterson. The Siena College survey, released yesterday, also showed that more New Yorkers would prefer former Govs. Mario Cuomo or George Pataki than either Spitzer or Paterson." When asked to pick their choice from recent governors, 39% opted for Cuomo, followed by Pataki, Spitzer and then Paterson. Well, we suppose absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or that Spitzer should be wary about his comeback. That same survey found Paterson has a dismal 18% approval rating. more ›

It's been 14 years since Mario Cuomo left the Governor's Mansion, but he still hasn't taken time out to sit for his official Governor's Portrait. According to the NY Times, while successor George Pataki's portrait will be unveiled next year, Cuomo is a bit more modest. He "suggested he found the whole idea pompous. He also said he had no patience for posing: 'I went to electric razors so I would not have to look at myself in the morning.'" But the State is impatient --and may chose a image of Cuomo that might not be flattering to avoid having a "12-year blank" in the gallery of governors past. Illustrator Thomas Fuchs offers some illustrations of Cuomo in the style of Warhol, Mondrian, Picasso and R. Crumb, and CityRoom is welcoming readers' submissions of Cuomo portraits, too. Slightly related: Even former NJ Governor James McGreevey has his official portrait! more ›

The NY Sun, which announced its future was uncertain last week, has been racking up support from prominent people. Not only do Mario Cuomo and George Pataki sing the Sun's praises (Pataki says it's "the best paper in New York" while Cuomo said, "I like understanding from the op-eds and editorials the conservative view of things"), Eliot Spitzer gives his first public comments since his scandal: "The Sun has been a spectacular addition to the city's political discourse and is one of the finest papers in terms of editing, writing, and analysis that one can find anywhere." Mayor Bloomberg also weighed in, hoping the paper would receive funding to continue on. more ›

Over the weekend, the Boston Globe published an opinion piece by former governor Mario Cuomo. He said to avoid "a Democratic disaster in November," Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama should put aside their bitter rivalry and form a ticket together, so their supporters will be relatively happier (and less divisive). Otherwise, "the 2008 primary may be the story of a painfully botched grand opportunity to return our nation to the upward path, and leave us mired in Iraq and government mediocrity." more ›

A dwarf bowling tournament planned for Staten Island bar Big Nose Kate’s has been cancelled after an unidentified scold alerted the media to the event, which was to be hosted Saturday by d-list celebrity dwarf minstrel Beetlejuice (pictured), an occasional guest on the Howard Stern show. In dwarf bowling, players take turns rolling a dwarf (wearing protective gear) on a skateboard down makeshift bowling alleys toward small pins. In exchange for his dignity, the dwarf/bowling ball earns more than $100 an hour, according to Beetlejuice’s co-manager. more ›

While they certainly spent time criticizing each other, the Republican presidential hopefuls devoted much time to criticize the Democratic frontrunner Senator Hillary Clinton. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said, "she hasn't run a corner store. She hasn't run a state. She hasn't run a city. She has never run anything. And the idea that she could learn to be President, you know, as an internship just doesn't make any sense." And Senator John McCain got a big round of applause for blasting Clinton and Senator Chuck Schumer's $1 million funding of a Woodstock memorial:

"Now, my friends, I wasn't there. I'm sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event. (LAUGHTER) I was tied up at the time."

Former District Attorney Arthur Branch - a.k.a. former Senator Fred Thompson - came back to New York City to speak at a NY State Conservative Party event. He made clear he's really conservative, saying, "Some think the way to beat the Democrats next year is to be more like them. I could not disagree more. My friends, I suggest it's not time for psychological flexibilities in terms of our principles. That's the surefire way of making sure we don't win." more ›

Okay, we give up. The whole Governor Spitzer-Senate Republican animosity thing has become totally and utterly insane. Someone left a crazy message for Spitzer's father, the wealthy (and 83-year-old) real estate developer Bernard Spitzer. And call has been traced to the apartment of a GOP adviser to State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno!

This is a message for Bernard Spitzer. You will be subpoenaed to testify in front of the Senate committee on investigation on your shady campaign loans. You will be compelled by the Senate sergeant at arms, if you resist, you will be arrested and brought to Albany - and there's not a goddamn thing your phony, psycho piece of s--- son can do about it. Bernie, your phony loans are about to catch up with you. You will be forced to tell the truth. The fact that your son is a pathological liar will be known to all.

An interesting legal ruling, with a special guest appearance by former Governor Mario Cuomo. Manhattan Judge Renee Roth ruled that two children, conceived by in vitro fertilization using sperm from their father after his death, were eligible for a share of their paternal grandfather's estate. more ›

Governor Eliot Spitzer think the State Senate's idea to have Attorney General Andrew Cuomo appointed "special prosecutor" - to investigate misdeeds in Spitzer's office - is "pointless." Spitzer told the Sun, "It seems to me that the attorney general already issued a report that he called complete, and Joe Bruno already called it a complete report. We have the Ethics Commission doing its thing." more ›

Thirty years ago tonight, New York City lost electricity when a Con Ed substation was hit by lightning strikes and a "cascading effect" caused the system to shut down around 9PM. And NYC, as well as parts of Westchester County, were powerless for over a day in the sweltering heart of the summer. Subways were stuck, mobs set fires and stores were looted. more ›

In October 1977, Howard Cosell leaned into his announcer's microphone and intoned to the worldwide audience watching the World Series, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning." He was reporting yet another burning building marring the NYC skyline from his vantage point at Yankee Stadium. His line would eventually become the partial title of a superb book written by Jonathan Mahler: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City. more ›

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Yesterday, Arizona Senator John McCain announced he was running for president in 2008. It was shocking only because we thought that was a given all this time. McCain revealed the news on the Late Show with David Letterman, and said he'd give a formal speech in April to explain that. Any opportunity to stump, we suppose! more ›

A day after the Daily News reported that City College had allowed a campus center to be named after two controversial figures on its cover, complete with scorching editorial criticizing the school, City College's chancellor Matthew Goldstein had the sign taken down. The center was called the Guillermo Morales/Assata Shakur Community Center. Guillermo Morales was a radical for Puerto Rico's independence and made bombs, including one that killed four people at Fraunces Tavern in 1975. His fingers blown off while making a bomb, but he escaped from Bellevue to Mexico and now lives in Cuba. Shakur, born Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army. In 1973, she killed NJ State trooper Wayne Foerster, she escaped from prison in 1979, headed to Cuba and now goes by Assata Shakur. There is still a $1 million reward for her capture. more ›

At the MTA board meeting, Chairman Peter Kalikow said there "probably" won't be a monthly Metrocard fare hike next year. But the "probably not" is contingent on the MTA having another surplus year, which could be possible, if they played their real estate cards right. The MTA has assumed fare increases for next year (and other years), and while Gothamist would hate an increase, we do understand that it might have to happen, what with the MTA's billions in defict. The Citizens Budget Commission released their ideas on how to balance the MTA budget (PDF), which include congestion pricing, East River tolls, and other fees. more ›

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A few days ago, 1010 WINS had a story about how New York state has the leading 2008 Presidential contenders, with Hillary Clinton currently leading the Democrats and Rudy Giuliani leading the Republicans at this very early stage. But what was more interesting was the commentary about the NY political scene from former Governor Mario Cuomo. Cuomo told 1010 WINS that he wasn't surprised by Clinton's or Giuliani's popularity...BUT:

If you were Merlin and you had taken a young boy with a fragile build and dipped him into the cauldron of boiling juices from lizards' insides and produced a knight with the biggest, broadest sword ever seen, you wouldn't have a better miracle than Giuliani produced by 9-11. I wish I could say he was the product of a developed politics here that is so strong, but he wasn't. And, neither was Hillary. Hillary was an import from Washington who chose, to our benefit, to come to New York. Both these people — yeah, they are New Yorkers now and very much so, but not a product of New York politics.

The Mayor of New York has always been a player on the national stage. And when it comes to political theatre, the Constitution requires that the show must go on. The right of the public to view debates and other political events is central to democracy. You have a none other than New York politicos Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch to thank when televised debates or election coverage interrupts your favorite shows. It was a lawsuit brought agains them that helped guarantee media access to politicians. more ›

NY State will no longer impose the death penalty as State Assembly Democrats have killed a bill that would have brought it to the whole Assembly for a vote. NY State started to impose the death penalty in 1995, after Governor Pataki used the issue as part of his campaign platform when he ran against Mario Cuomo in 1994. However, last year, the death penalty was found unconstitutional by an appeals court. The AP notes that no one has ever been executed in NY since the death penalty was enacted. Assembly Republicans say they may fight for the death penalty in a floor vote, proving that the issue will be a political fight between the two parties. What Gothamist found interesting was to be reminded that Democrat Sheldon Silver of Manhattan, who is the Assembly Leader, actually supported the death penalty, though his support has "cooled" of late; Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is also a death penalty supporter. more ›

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Time magazine's Person of the Year issue with Giuliani. And read Cuomo's keynote address to the 1984 Democratic National Convention.
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- Google News search of "Sex and the City" articles more ›